What's New (COMPLETED SINCE APRIL)

ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS

$295 each, framed
These pencil illustrations were recently completed for a new book 'Born a Hunter`, written by my good friend Dwight Van Brunt and soon to be published by Sporting Classics Magazine. There are a total of 28 images.(Click above image to see them all)
The book, 'Born a Hunter` will be available through the artist, the author, or online at:
www.SportingClassics.net
BOOK : Trade Edition: $45 Deluxe Edition: $75

Inspired by a trip to Tanzania, I had to sculpt another cape buffalo, an animal with such impressive size, zero tolerance, and a lot of armor to back up a bad attitude. Little wonder that hunters find these animals 'to die for`....and then sometimes do.

Michael and I have met some wonderful new friends on the East coast, and have taken several commissions to sculpt portraits of their beautiful hunting dogs. This setter pair was installed on a beautiful patio overlooking the water from Brays Island, SC.

The boreal toad is now listed on the endangered species list. Native to Colorado, the toads are found at higher elevations (above 8000 feet) and have experienced a rapid decline in numbers over the last 25 years, due in part to a deadly fungus, and surely, habitat depletion and/or degradation. The Colorado Department of Wildlife recently completed a Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility near my home town of Alamosa, Colorado.
This facility has had great success in hatching out clutches of toad egg masses from various population sites and raising these tadpoles into young adult toads. The intention of this "headstart" program is to provide and maintain a large number of captive stocks from as many populations as possible in order to ensure the integrity of the genetic diversity of each population through controlled breeding and release programs.
My family and I were included in a tour of the facility, allowing an up-close interview with these little toads. Their intermediate home consisted of several partially filled bathtubs, elevated at one end with a heat lamp to huddle under. Evidently, the warm spot was prime real estate, and to my artistic delight, I snapped several photos of toad piles. I'm still smilin'.

I have a terrific client that commissions a new sculpture bust every year to commemorate his hunting expedition for that season. This year, it was the cougar (or puma if you are hunting in Argentina). I really wanted to come up with something different, and decided to focus on the personality that most cats seem to have, a combination of occasional irritation, intriguing arrogance, and definitely... ongoing Attitude.

This is my first 'open edition' bronze, a miniature of the cougar monument completed for BYU in 2006.

'Stinker' is the first in another series of miniatures. I remember an older couple in the Creede area that used to feed the chipmunks, and would let me come over at feeding time. As a youngster, it was great fun to see how many of the little guys I could get to climb on me at the same time.

I'm quite a kid at heart, and decided if I wanted to follow a small line of whimsy... why not! I'm not fond of mice in the house, but I have a lot of inspiration for more of these little sculptures!

Unless you live in the Pacific Northwest, banana slug probably doesn't have much meaning. But a good rain here and our paths are covered with HUGE yellow slugs. They're actually kind of pretty, as long as I don't step on one.

We've started doing some commission portraits of hunting dogs and have enjoyed the new doors that have opened. Gretta was a birthday present from a very thoughtful husband!

'Gunny' is another beautiful dog we met on the east coast.

'Gunner' is an energetic and beautiful spaniel. We photographed him during the day, on the run and following his nose. Later that night at a wonderful Cajun supper at Chuck and Linda's, Gunner layed down at Chuck's feet in total loyalty. We all thought this was the perfect pose for his portrait.