Eric Thorsen

https://www.ericthorsengallery.com

Eric Thorsen was born in Glasgow, MT in 1967 to an American serviceman and a French citizen. Raised in this multi-cultural home, Eric’s philosophies of sculpture were shaped at an early age. Trips Abroad with his mother introduced Eric to a world filled with art and history that would mold his outlook on life.

Eric started by carving fish in wood. In the beginning of his career at 24 he won Best in World with his wood sculpture called “Mystery of the Redd.” Soon after he was introduced to clay and the real excitement began. He soon began producing literally hundreds of sculptures cast into bronze.

Eric Thorsen’s sculptures are featured worldwide in publications and TV. Major corporations, celebrities and private collectors enthusiastically collect his work. Sales of his sculptures has generated millions of dollars in contributions to numerous non profit organizations. Eric’s sculptures are diverse, but are often focused on human and animal forms. His photographic imagination is his source for his inspiration. Eric’s work is highly acclaimed, winning him awards and honors nationwide. Eric achieved international acclaim, winning numerous international and national awards. He holds memberships to prestigious groups throughout the art world. He frequently returns to Europe drawing from this as a source of inspiration.

Sherry Sander

http://www.sherrysanderstudios.com

Animal Sculptor Sherry Salari Sander resides in the Montana Countryside surrounded by a 300-acre wildlife preserve, the setting for her home and studio. She draws much inspiration from animals seeking protection there as well as from extensive travel and field research ranging from the Alaskan bush to the African plains. Sander strives to foster an appreciation for declining wildlife populations and the desire to preserve their habitat.

"My work represents a lifelong love affair with animals and art. Observing and interpreting animals in their natural environment reveals those subtle behaviors most worthy of telling. By incorporating habitat, I challenge my compositions to respectfully capture an animal's interplay with nature, its gestures and personalities, hopefully, within an artful framework of balance, continuity and contrast."

Deborah Copenhaver Fellows

http://www.fellowsstudios.com

Deborah Copenhaver was born and raised on a cattle and Quarter Horse ranch in northern Idaho. Deborah received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a Fine Art major following study in Italy where her passion for sculpture came alive and continues today. At 19 she sculpted her first commissioned bronze for the city of Spokane, James Glover.

During a stay in Phoenix, Arizona she went to Prescott and met Ernie Phippen who ran a western art foundry.  Her world came together.  She went back home gathered all of her belongings and returned to Prescott to get a job as a head wrangler in a dude ranch.  That year she cast her first bronze and started her art career. Within four years Deborah was commissioned by Gonzaga University to sculpt a monument of Bing Crosby.  It was during this period Deborah married and had her only child, Fabienne, “my greatest life’s accomplishment,” according to Deborah.

Living now in southern Arizona with her husband Fred Fellows, Deborah is devoted to creating fresh, original and accomplished sculptures which express her heartfelt feelings for the Western way of life. Surrounded by splendid Southwestern scenery and a string of good horses, she is assured an ample source of inspiration for a lifetime.

Karl Lansing

https://www.bronzewildlifesculptures.com

Karl Lansing was raised in the majestic Northern Rockies of his native British Columbia. Since the age of 12, Karl has been a taxidermist and involved in the outfitting and guide business. He truly knows his subjects inside and out.

When Karl's job in the mines in the Kootenay Region of British Columbia came to an end in the early 1990's, he decided to pursue a career with his art. He tackled two things he felt were missing in other sculptors' work: anatomical correctness and realistic detail.

Karl is an avid outdoorsman and sports enthusiast, as well as a family man. Sculpting has become a natural extension for him to portray the impact that wilderness and wildlife have in his life. He thoroughly enjoys the challenging and ever changing career that he has chosen.

Through the many diverse shows and conventions that he attends, he has found many lifelong friends who also share his enthusiasm for the great outdoors. Karl's continuous self-scrutiny, help him move forward in his constant quest for life-like realism in his work. This is evident in the care and precision that goes into the creation of each piece. This quality and precise detail is what sets his work apart and keeps his collectors coming back for more. He particularly enjoys working with clients on finding that unique piece that will work for them in their home or office, or outside their home or office!

Jerry MCKellar

https://jerrymckellar.com

Jerry McKellar is primarily a self-taught artist and Army veteran; his vivid imagination combined with input from life experiences, travel, and nature influence his creative spirit. While studying Dentistry at the University of Washington he began making jewelry, and continued to experiment with various art forms including painting, scratch board drawing, and sculpting throughout his dental career. In 1987, he began to seriously pursue sculpting in bronze and retired from dentistry in 1994 to pursue his art career full time. Jerry has taken patina classes and expanded on that knowledge with years of experimentation; he does most of his own patina, including on his life-size monuments and larger sculptures.

McKellar's sculptures are noted for strong compositions, power, and movement. As an accomplished and inventive artist, he is constantly broadening his style and subject matter. His work varies from extremely fine detail to smooth muscle studies emphasizing the human form, ranging in size from miniature to monumental. His work can be found in private collections and permanently in museums, corporations, and communities. Jerry and his wife, Gayle, have been residing in Colville, WA since 1971. 

Reg Parsons

http://www.regparsonsart.com   

"Nature has always amazed me and as a young boy I painted western scenery and wildlife and grew up with a wish to express the beauty that I saw through those young eyes. I realize now that my life's journey has taken me back to that young boy's heart, to embrace the gifts that were given to me from the start."

Growing up in southern Alberta, his school notebook margins were filled with sketches of wildlife and horses. The spring of 1997 brought with it a new challenge to sculpt wildlife, to be cast in bronze. His understanding of nature, and the anatomy of wildlife, is evident in the life that he captures in each sculpture.  Subjects such as the Golden Eagle, North American wildlife, the Western Rodeo Series, the Lab Puppy Series, the impressionist Series of Creation, and his whimsical pieces that bring a smile, demonstrate his versatility as a sculptor. His work is original, and appealing to a wide range of art lovers. With unlimited talent as a self-taught artist, he looks forward to his next work being his best, and demands excellence in everything he puts his hand to. Reg Parsons has often said, “Creating life in Bronze and Fine Art that expresses beauty, passion and strength makes me come alive” 

Tom HJorleifson

http://tomhjorleifson.com

Tom Hjorleifson works in his studio in Canmore, Alberta, creating sculpture in a range of scales from hand-held to monumental, in bronze and stainless steel. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Tom spent his formative years in Winnipeg and then Calgary. The YMCA played an important part in his early personal and leadership development; extensive world travels added to his experience.

In 1980, after graduating from the University of Calgary with a BPE specializing in Outdoor Pursuits, Tom moved to Canmore where he currently resides with his wife and assistant Patricia. A self-taught sculptor, Tom began creating work in clay in 1990. He became a member of the Canmore Artist and Artisans Guild in 1992. His work is found in private and corporate collections around the world. Bronze is his preferred medium, but he also works in steel, stone and clay.

"The Rocky Mountain wilderness inspires my work. Personal encounters with wildlife evoke a deep passion, a desire to capture the magic of those moments. Hopefully, the work will promote the importance of the environmental movement."

For Tom, creating art is a compelling process, an exciting, irresistible journey.

Scott Lennard

http://www.scottlennard.com

Scott grew up in southern Michigan with childhood visions of becoming a mountain man. In 1981 he fulfilled part of his boyhood dream by moving, with his wife Patti, to central Montana. After exploring the state for 4 years they settled in the rural community of Libby where together they opened Frontier Studio, a full service taxidermy shop.

Scott's abilities as an artist and outdoors man have earned him many awards in the field of taxidermy. Working with wildlife in the realm of taxidermy eventually led to sculpting taxidermy manikins for the taxidermy industry. Scott discovered he really enjoyed the art of sculpting and soon became interested in trying his hand at bronze art work. It wasn't long before he added another name to his business; Scott Lennard Bronze Wildlife Sculpture Studio.

In 1991 Scott completed his first bronze sculpture and was instantly hooked on this method of creative expression. From 1991 to 1997 Scott split his time between taxidermy and bronze art. Over the years Scott has continued to work in the areas of bronze art, taxidermy and sculpting forms for the taxidermy industry. He feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to center his career life around areas he passionately enjoys.

Terry Lee

http://www.terryleeart.com

Born and raised in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, Terry Lee could be considered a jack of all trades. His family owned and was involved in many businesses from farming to sporting goods and drive-in movie theaters. Terry broke into the art scene in 1994. 

Terry has created a truly unique style, reflecting a combination of the old masters and bringing new energy to wildlife art with bold usage of color. Recognizing the value to himself and other artists in the community, he opened a large studio two nights a week to Life Drawing and Sculpting sessions, providing the model and space to those who are interested in working with the human figure.

"I do my best to create a sense of energy and action. I capture emotional moments using color and light, sweeping brush strokes and bold swaths of color, drawing the eye into the scene. I want the viewer to feel the intense light and heat of the sun, creating atmosphere and mood. I believe in channeling my creative urges in order to produce unique artwork in Hayden. My inspiration for my work is the miracle of life. Terry Lee Studio is born out of a combination of my education, training and experience, which allows my perspective as an artist to remain traditional yet contemporary. Art is how I battle against the indifference of humans and offer new ways of viewing the world.”

Rochelle Lombardi

http://goingtothesungallery.org

Rochelle is the owner of Going To The Sun Gallery in Whitefish, MT. She has been a jeweler for over 25 years, attending school at the Gemilogical Institute of America (GIA) for her degree in jewelry design and jewelry repair. She also is educated in gemology, gem identification and jewelry appraisal.