Start talking to the wildlife artists and they will tell you the same thing: “The animals aren’t hard to find…” Then they’ll take a dramatic pause and finish their thought: “…If you know where to look.”
And they’re right. The animals are out there—grizzlies in Glacier National Park, wolves and bison in Yellowstone, moose in Jackson Hole, mountain lions in Southern Arizona—for those adventurous enough to seek them out. Sometimes it comes down to luck and being at the right place at the right time, and other times the odds can be stacked in the artist’s favor by hiring a guide or, alternatively, spending a great deal of time outdoors and knowing what to look for, and where, while out in the wild.
Eiteljorg Museum, Guardian of the Wilderness, oil on linen panel, 30 x 24 in., by Krystii Melaine. Available at Quest for the West.Wildlife encounters are special moments between a person and nature. It’s why we trek all around the wilderness to lay eyes on all kinds of different creatures. It’s why we go to zoos and wildlife preserves. And it’s why we collect wildlife art. For Bob Kuhn there is truth in animals. A truth that can’t be faked. It’s 100 percent genuine. In his book The Art of Bob Kuhn, the artist quotes Robert Frost: The way a crow shook down on me
the dust of snow from hemlock tree
has given my heart a change of mood
and saved some part of a day I had rued
Jackson Hole Art Auction, Canyon King, 2008, Colorado Yule marble, 43½ x 32 x 17 in., by Gerald Balciar. Estimate: $50/75,000. 
“There is something in this bit of Frost verse which has echoes in my painting. Perhaps it is the intimate thing that certifies the truth of a situation. What it says is ‘I was there’ or perhaps ‘Did you see that?’ There is nothing profound in what I try to do. I paint animals. I have looked at them, and made scribbles that purported to represent them for a very long time. The scribbles have improved, but even the bad ones have fed information into my memory bank. No one can absorb all there is to know about animals. But one can acquire a sense of the nature of the critters one chooses to portray,” Kuhn wrote. “To be an artist requires that the truth as one knows it should be stretched and bent to the aesthetic demands of the work, for facts alone do not produce art. Rather, they are the raw stuff from which a piece of art might emerge. I now think, albeit pretty late in the game, that the realism of a painting is honored in the breach. It’s the little glitch that often gives life to a piece of work. A quirk, a twist—something that surprises. The easiest thing I know is to set a scene and put everything in it. No judgment, no editing, just put it all down. There is a large, enthusiastic audience for this kind of painting, but while I admire the skills required to produce it, I am not moved by it. My own effort is directed toward the production of works that reveal emotion. You might say I wear my heart on my sleeve. It’s not everyone’s dish of tea, but for better or worse, it’s mine.”
Top: Legacy Gallery, Riverside Realm, oil, 18 x 36 in., by Daniel Smith. Bottom: Brenda Murphy, Snow Plow, oil on linen, 14 x 18 in. Available at Quest for the West; Legacy Gallery, Electric Peak Bulls, Yellowstone, oil on linen, 32 x 54 in., by Robert Peters.September is a stunning month to enjoy wildlife art. Not only are there a large number of shows in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, within striking distance of both Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, but there are even wildlife-themed shows like Western Visions, also in Jackson Hole. Another event in that famous Wyoming city is the Jackson Hole Art Auction, featuring a huge selection of wildlife work, including Gerald Balciar’s marble Canyon King.
Also turn your attention to Quest for the West at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, which will feature dozens of top Western artists, many of whom paint animal subjects. Two artists in this year’s show are Brenda Murphy, who will be showing her bison piece Snow Plow, and also Krystii Melaine, who will be presenting her wolf piece Guardian of the Wilderness.
Top: Legacy Gallery, The Apparition, bronze, ed. 18 of 24, 40 x 22 x 13 in., by Tim Shinabarger; Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, All Muscle, oil on linen, 18 x 24 in., by Grant Hacking. Bottom: Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, Cuervo Curioso, charcoal on Stonehenge paper, 12 x 12 in., by Ray Brown; Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, The Hidden Lake, oil on linen, 16 x 20 in., by Cody Oldham.Legacy Gallery, with locations in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, hosts a bevy of artists that specialize in wildlife subject matter. For instance, Robert Peters displays beauties like Electric Peak Bulls, Yellowstone. “Born in upstate New York but raised in Phoenix, Arizona, the artist credits his early memories of the Southwestern deserts with sparking a passion for the outdoors,” explains gallery representatives. “His extensive travels throughout the American West instilled a love for nature. Enthusiasm and respect for the natural world continue to be the driving forces behind his landscape paintings.”
For artist Daniel Smith, and paintings like Riverside Realm, the gallery shares, “Smith and his wife live at the end of a dirt road outside of Bozeman, Montana, at the edge of a national forest. Smith resides here, he says, ‘to maintain a connection to the real Wild West.’ For the artist, it is by design, never far away, as evidenced by the photographs he has taken of mountain lions, moose, black bears, elk and mule deer that roam just beyond the vaulted window of his studio.”
Top: Museum of the Big Bend, Santa Elena Canyon, oil on panel, 14 x 26 in., by Alice Leese; Gallery Wild, When We Were Thunder, oil on linen, 72 x 48 in., by Patricia A. Griffin. Bottom: National Museum of Wildlife Art, In the Dry Season, oil on board, 24 x 36 in., by John Perry Baumlin; National Museum of Wildlife Art, 83001, oil over acrylic on board, 36 x 36 in., by Andrew Denman.
Artist Tim Shinabarger has a background in taxidermy and in the past worked as a guide, backcountry ranger and forest fire fighter. “Following in the footsteps of such pathfinders as Carl Rungius and Belmore Brown,” says the gallery, “Shinabarger makes regular pilgrimages into the wilderness to gather ideas for new sculptural works—found in bronze pieces like The Apparition—in order to convey the essence of his elusive subjects. He says it is necessary to put himself in a position to directly observe them in the wild.”
Cherokee Art Market, Two Realms, fabricated steel, 60 in., by Demos Glass.
The natural beauty of the outdoors inspires the prominent wildlife artwork showcased at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE). “The artwork on display often reflects the artists’ personal experiences and encounters with nature, making each artwork a unique and powerful testament to the splendor of the natural world,” says John Powell, SEWE president and CEO. We hope this inspiration fosters a continued appreciation for the great outdoors by all that view it, and drives conservation efforts for generations to come.”
The event features impressive works like that of Grant Hacking’s bison painting All Muscle; Ray Brown’s raven portrait Cuervo Curioso; and Cody Oldham’s horned sheep in The Hidden Lake.
Pamela Winters, Defending a Legacy, bronze with granite base, 30 x 9 x 9 in.
When collecting for the genre, Powell says, “Where possible, get to know the artist personally. They can often become as much a part of your life as your collection. A purchase can be an emotional process and not simply transactional. The appreciation and respect flow both ways.”
The mission at the National Museum of Wildlife Art is to “impart knowledge and generate wonder through art and education, and that is also our advice to collectors,” says Steve Seamons, executive director. “Collect what inspires you, what sparks curiosity or what evokes wonder in the next generation of environmental stewards.”
The museum, hosting its popular Western Visions Show + Sale, occurring September 7 through 29, will feature Andrew Denman’s 83001. “I chose to explore these warring concepts by placing my bull elk behind a bar code that reads as a fence, while softer verticals in the background suggest a distant cityscape,” says the artist. In addition, the numbers at the bottom of the bar code are significant, alluding to the commodification of the elk as a source of game meat, money from hunting licenses and their highly prized and decorative antlers—a few topics among other important ones in regard to elk in the region.
Top: National Museum of Wildlife Art, Larger than Life, oil on panel, 16 x 20 in., by D. Edward Kucera; Renso Tamse, A Duet in White (The Dance of the Whooping Cranes), watercolor, 39½ x 37½ in. Bottom: Renso Tamse, Wapiti Stand, watercolor, 27 x 40 in.; Museum of the Big Bend, Ready to Race the Wind, 16 x 20 in., by Lindy Cook Severns.John Perry Baumlin will bring Western Visions his work In the Dry Season, a scene involving the “bulky, mud-caked, irascible Cape Buffalo and the immaculately ornamented, Gray-Crowned Cranes of the East African plains,” he says. Also highlighted at the 2024 Western Visions is D. Edward Kucera’s Larger than Life.“I found this rather larger-than-life fellow roaming around near Missoula, Montana,” says Kucera. “He didn’t seem to mind me observing him, but before he went on his way, he was so kind in giving me this statuesque pose.”
The Museum of the Big Bend, located in Alpine, Texas, also represents artists holding up the wildlife genre. Alice Leese grew up on the YT Ranch in Winkler County, Texas, where she and her husband now live and work. “The land, occupants and uses for land change over regions, and my landscape paintings—like Santa Elena Canyon—are a record of the effects of weather conditions, droughts, rain and events like grass fires,” she says. “Coming from a background of ranching makes conservation and stewardship of place a priority.”
Lindy Cook Severns also lives and creates on a working ranch in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, and paints skies and landscapes steeped in color—imbued with her passion for nature. Of her wildlife pieces, like Ready to Race the Wind,she says, “My unique style comes from being largely self-taught. I learn by experimenting, never allowing rules, expectations or show requirements to enter my studio with me. That artistic freedom has yielded successes I never dreamed of…”
Top: Cherokee Art Market, Snake Doctor, turquois and freshwater pearls on silver coin, by John Knotts; Elizabeth Mordensky, JUMP!, oil finger painting, 36 x 36 in. Bottom: Charles Weiss, Fire River Salmon, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 in.; Cindy Sorley-Keichinger, Tiger Prowl, acrylic, 24 x 36 in.Cherokee Art Market,held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, every year at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, features many artworks by Native American artists that are celebratory of the connections between wildlife and culture. “Native American art often utilizes places, animals and elements to symbolize tribal spiritual beliefs and a relationship with the natural world,” says event organizers. “These connections are showcased through various mediums including sculptures, paintings, pottery, textiles and more.”
Top: Gallery Wild, Step by Step, oil on linen, 30 x 48 in., by Amber Blazina; Cherokee Art Market, Fun Turtle Guy, stone sculpture made from Persian red travertine, 11 x 8 in., by Scott Middleton. Bottom: Gallery Wild, The Sage King, oil on canvas, 40 x 48 in., by Doyle Hostetler; Renso Tamse, Mosquito Morning, watercolor, 27 x 40 in.At this year’s event, from October 12 through 13, collectors will find Demos Glass’ iconic Southeastern serpent sculpture Two Realms. “This was a special piece that I worked on throughout the years, inspired by older motifs and the history of my tribe,” Glass says. “When I start making a piece, I dive into it visually but then I start to look into the stories and cultural significance of it...”
Other highlights at the market include John Knotts’ Snake Doctor jewelry set depicting dragonflies, as well as Scott Middleton’s Fun Turtle Guy stone sculpture.
Artist Renso Tamse, known for his realistic watercolors of animals and nature, shares, “I’ve always had a strong connection to wildlife, and much of my work centers on endangered species. Through my paintings, I aim to emphasize our responsibility to protect and cherish the fragile wonders of the natural world and its extraordinary animals. My latest piece, A Duet in White, featuring two dancing whooping cranes, underscores the resilience of these birds as a result of conservation efforts.” A Duet in White will be featured at the September Western Visions Show + Salein Jackson, Wyoming.
Tamse’s advice to collectors of the wildlife genre is: “Choose artwork that resonates deeply with you, stirring your soul like any great piece of art does. Identify your ‘Spirit Animal.’ Purchase or commission a painting of this animal, and each day as you pass it on your wall, let it reconnect you with nature and rejuvenate your spirit.”
Pamela Winters, Black Sow with Cub, bronze with granite and walnut base, 7 x 11 x 6½ in.Artist Charles Weiss, who paints and carves wildlife art, celebrates sport fishing—observing the reflecting qualities and movement of water and fleeting shapes of fish. “[These] shapes and brilliant shine reflecting light are my favorite features to express in animal art,” he says. “Changing hues were my focus of the fish in my painting titled Fire River Salmon.Sea colors upon re-entry into freshwater Chinook salmon fade from shiny silver to river brown. I try to create the power and vitality in each animal I paint.”
As for Weiss’ techniques, he says, “In my method for acrylic painting, no matter what the subject, I take care to make a scene that combines bold colors, shadowed areas and brilliant light. I [utilize] several layers of glazing with underlying colors in each work, taking me a month minimum to complete a painting.”
Top: Cindy Sorley-Keichinger, Left Turn, acrylic, 9 x 12 in.; Teresa Lynn Johnson, Alone on the Prairie, oil, 14 x 11 in. Bottom: Dan Knepper, Presence, oil on canvas, 16 x 20 in.; Elizabeth Mordensky, Ancient Allies, oil finger painting, 36 x 60 in.Cindy Sorley-Keichinger reflects her love of nature and wildlife in works like Tiger Prowl, Left Turn and 10 or 20 Hippos. She is a big advocate for people taking the time to enjoy the peace found among nature and animals. “A study has found that paintings of nature and wildlife has a calming effect on people, and some workplaces have brought in nature walks for their staff to relax with,” she says. In my works, I try to bring forth this serenity.”
Sorley-Keichinger is a member of several artist organizations: Artists for Conservation, Society of Animal Artists and Women Artists of the West, to name a few. She has also designed a Coin for the Royal Canadian Mint. She will be part of Society of Animal Artists’ annual show Art and the Animal from September 1 through November 30, and Artists for Conservation Festival, September 14 through 22.
“Wildlife art is one of the best creative sources for storytelling,” says artist Jamie Cassaboon. “Movement and gesture are so abundant and varied in the natural world, that the pleasure of observation is ubiquitous and limitless. Birds in particular have such a variety of shapes, behaviors and textures, that opportunities for discovery and wonder are massive. As an artist, it is both challenging and exciting to try and capture one of these tiny moments, distill its essence and express it in hopes of connecting the viewer with the subject.”
In Cassaboon’s graphite on paper works Great Blue Heron #2 and Hooded Merganser #2, he says, “realistic drawings like this can invite viewers deeper into a small moment promoting both the excitement and wonder of nature, as well as shared connection and experience.”
The artist adds that “when collecting wildlife art—like most art—should start with connection. Connecting with the scene or story depicted, with the subject(s), or both ideally. Collecting realism often includes the added benefit of intricacy.”
Dan Knepper never tires of painting the last wild places and the wildlife that inhabits them. “I’m always working to strengthen the transportation of the viewer into the scene, so you’ll feel like you’re standing in that place, in that moment,” he says. “There’s something mystical about hiking through the silence of the forest or being surrounded by elk or bison. There’s also something reverential about experiencing the feeling of the Rockies, the sage and pine, the towering peaks and crystal water cascading from great heights, and I hope my paintings share those feelings of peace and renewed energy.” Knepper’s painting Presence, of a bear among the trees, will be shown at 2024 Western Visions Show + Sale.
Top to bottom: Jamie Cassaboon, Great Blue Heron #2, graphite on paper, 24 x 36 in.; Cindy Sorley-Keichinger, 10 or 20 Hippos, oil, 10 x 20 in.; Jamie Cassaboon, Hooded Merganser #2, graphite on paper, 17 x 33 in. His advice to collectors: “Whether landscapes or Western life themes, I think you have to ask if you’ll still want to stand in front of the painting years from now and want to be transported to that moment, in that place.”
Artist Elizabeth Mordensky finds inspiration in the personalities and behaviors of America’s Western wildlife. Living in remote Montana and working as a wildlife guide in Yellowstone National Park, Mordensky spends her time out of the studio watching wildlife in their natural habitat. “I love watching animals go about their daily lives and seeing how different species interact with each other,” she adds. “I derive additional inspiration from the excitement of my guests, who have often never seen wild animals out in nature. When I get back to the studio, I enthusiastically dive into my work, capturing the magic that nature shares with me every day.”
Mordensky continues, “When choosing a piece of art for your home, I recommend going with a piece that brings a smile to your face. I believe that surrounding myself with things that bring me joy is the best practice in life. Art can be a powerful tool in setting the mood in your home.”
In Nikita Coulombe’s wildlife paintings, she seeks to capture the dualities of nature. “I begin every wildlife painting with the animal’s eyes,” she explains of her process. “I carefully balance technique and intuition, building up layers of oil paint to create depth, contrast and character. Not every area will be detailed. I concentrate on the interplay of colors and forms, working to create a compelling focal point with increasing abstraction and negative space towards the edges of the painting.”
Teresa Lynn Johnson, Call of Autumn, oil, 40 x 20 in. She continues, “I believe the intensity of the eyes expresses the tension between the warmth and harshness, kindness and cruelty of nature. Perhaps instinctively, I’m drawn to large-eyed creatures, especially owls, because I want the subjects of my paintings to look at the viewer as much as the viewer is looking at them. More importantly, I want the viewer to have an awareness that the subject is looking at them and to focus on its gaze. It’s like gazing into the abyss and contemplating both the light and darkness there.”
Like so many others in this section, Teresa Lynn Johnson has also always loved animals—especially wildlife. “Living in the West allows me the opportunity to seek out and study wildlife such as elk, deer, pronghorn, bears, coyotes and more,” she says. “I also take opportunities to travel to any place I can capture references of animals in their natural environments, such as herds of wild horses.”
The inspiration behind Johnson’s painting The Adobe Valley Dance,resulted from a horseback camping trip with a guide that led her to some groups of wild horses in the Adobe Valley. “It was such a wonderful experience to spend time watching the horses, studying their behaviors and getting great references to use in creating my art,” says Johnson. “Dramatic lighting is one of my favorite things to paint, and in each of these works, I had opportunity to view and use some dramatic lighting either on the animal or within the landscape. Light inspires me and gives me hope.”
Nikita Coulombe, Through the Leaves, oil on panel, 14 x 18 in.; Teresa Lynn Johnson, The Adobe Valley Dance, oil, 22 x 28 in.; Nikita Coulombe, Call of the Wild, oil on linen panel, 12 x 16 in.
Native to Saratoga Springs, New York, at the south end of the Adirondack Mountains, Pamela Winters’ passion to depict wildlife and people has remained strong. She is an award-winning bronze artist with a passion for wildlife and Western art. Winters has a God-given talent and pours her love of creation into each piece. The realism in detail, movement and expression draw her clients in. Commission work holds a special place in her heart, as it’s a way to capture a loved one, person or animal in a special and lasting way. Winters is a member of Women Artists of the West and Cowgirl Artists of America. “I was always sketching and studying both, looking at hair patterns, facial features, muscles and overall structure,” she says. Her use of detail, movement and expression draws her clients in. Commission work holds a special place in her heart, as it’s a way to capture a loved one, person or animal in a special and lasting way.
The artist discovered sculpting in 2007, but continued to work full time. “I was finally able to devote all my time to sculpting in 2012,” she admits. “Sculpting awoke an entirely new part of my creativeness. Wanting to capture realistic figures, clay became an extension of my fingers. Now, sculpting evokes memories and feelings of moments and relationships.” Her works Defending a Legacy and Black Sow with Cub are two wonderful examples of her focus on wildlife subject matter. —
Featured Artists & Galleries
Brenda Murphy
www.brendamurphystudio.com
Instagram: brendamurphystudio
Charles Weiss
Nova Scotia, Canada, (902) 530-5156
Instagram: chuckwhatyacaught
Cherokee Art Market
(877) 779-6977
cherokeeartmarket.com
Cindy Sorley-Keichinger
goldfarm@telusplanet.net
www.goldenkstudio.com
Dan Knepper
danknepperart@yahoo.com
www.danknepperart.com
Instagram: DanKnepperArt
Eiteljorg Museum American Indians and Western Art
500 W. Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 636-9378, www.eiteljorg.org
Instagram: eiteljorgmuseum
Elizabeth Mordensky
Gardiner, MT art@mordenskyfineart.com
www.mordenskyfineart.com
Gallery Wild
80 W. Broadway Avenue
Jackson Hole, WY 83001
(307) 203-2322
203 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, (505) 467-8297
www.gallerywild.com
Jackson Hole Art Auction
130 E. Broadway Avenue
Jackson, WY 83001
(866) 549-9278
www.jacksonholeartauction.com
Jamie Cassaboon
jcassaboonart@gmail.com
www.jcassaboonart.com
Krystii Melaine
(509) 655-6123
www.krystiimelaine.com
Legacy Gallery
7178 Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 945-1113
225 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, (505) 986-9833
www.legacygallery.com
Museum of the Big Bend
Sul Ross State University
400 N. Harrison Street, C-101
Alpine, Texas 79832
(432) 837-8730
www.museumofthebigbend.com
National Museum of Wildlife Art
2820 Rungius Road, Jackson, WY 83001
(307) 732-5445 www.wildlifeartevents.org
Nikita Coulombe
Dallas, TX
nikita.coulombe@gmail.com
www.nikitacoulombe.com
Pamela Winters
(918) 639-2112
www.winterssculptures.com
Renso Tamse
wendykeller@keller-artmgmt.com
(703) 624-7470
www.rensotamse.com
Southeastern Wildlife Exposition
P.O. Box 20635, Charleston, South Carolina 29413
(843) 723-1748, www.sewe.com
Teresa Lynn Johnson
(505) 334-1744
www.teresalynnjohnson.comm
Instagram: teresalynnjohnsonartist
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