Almost Alive

Collector's Focus Western Sculpture

By John O’Hern

Tim Cherry’s sinuous, whimsical animals come from years of observation and an intimate knowledge of the animals’ anatomy. He observed animals in the wild growing up in the Canadian Rockies where he worked on hunting expeditions and became a guide. Later, he sculpted mannequins for a Maine taxidermist who required the forms to be extremely accurate to allow the final work to appear lifelike.

Cherry says, “My sculptural approach involves the use of simplified shapes and lines to produce curvilinear forms. I enjoy orchestrating these elements into sculpture that is rhythmical, flowing and inviting to the touch. Capturing the grace and elegance of my subjects is a primary goal.”InSight Gallery, Familiar Ground, bronze, 3¾ x 2½”, by George Bumann

He doesn’t begin with a simplified shape but pares down from his knowledge of the complex musculature of the animal, maintaining a sense of reality in the finished piece. In Bear Ball, the massive, powerful thighs are accentuated and, combined with the curving of the animal’s body, create a playful ball. The mottled brown patina recalls the bear’s fur. Cherry says, “I enjoy experimenting with colorful lively patinas. To me color is an important part of the design.”Blue Rain Gallery, Oro Bear, blown glass, 14 x 7 x 9”, by Dan Friday.

Legacy Gallery, Sister Moon, 35 x 10 x 11”, by John Coleman.

While the hand of the artist isn’t obvious in Cherry’s piece, the manipulation of the original clay in George Bumann’s bronze Familiar Ground is prominent. Like Cherry, Bumann has worked in backcountry guiding and taxidermy. He also has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in wildlife ecology. His knowledge has allowed him to sketch the essence of the bear in this tiny study measuring 3¾ by 2½ inches. He lives just outside an entrance to Yellowstone and continues to study the park’s animals, sketching and even modeling in the field. He is familiar with the idiosyncrasies of species as well as those of individual animals. “What I’m after is a sense of their inner landscape,” he explains, “their thoughts, their intentions—as a way to explore deeper meaning and to tell their stories using the qualities of light, form and gesture.”McLarry Fine Art, Bear Ball, bronze, ed. of 18, 10 x 4 x 4”, by Tim Cherry.

Legacy Gallery, The Midnight Storm, bronze, ed. of 17, 15 x 47 x 11”, by Dustin Payne.

Legacy Gallery, The Sentinel, bronze, 27 x 23 x 10”, by Blair Buswell.

Dan Friday is a member of the Lummi Nation, imbued with the traditions of his Coast Salish heritage as well as the creative vibes of Seattle’s vital glass-making community. Like his fellow glassmaker Preston Singletary (Tlingit), Friday interprets regional animals and their mythical roles. The bear is a frequent motif simplified to its basic form, but embellished with intricate patterns of glass in ancient Venetian techniques or with flowing, painterly color. Oro Bear, as its title suggests, has gold leaf suspended just beneath its surface.Legacy Gallery, Emissary of the Mountain Spirits, bronze, ed. of 6, 55 x 24”, by Paul Moore.

Legacy Gallery, Hombre de Palabra, bronze, 70 x 40 x 33”, by Scott Rogers.

C.M. Russell Museum, Mountain Ram, 1922, wood, by John L. Clarke (1881-1970). Collection of the C.M. Russell Museum; Gift of Dorothy Jean McKay and Gordon R. Dutt, in memory of Dr. Gordon A. and Fleda Thurston Dutt.

Legacy Gallery, Back Country, bronze, ed. of 75, 9 x 13”, by Tim Shinabarger.

He says, “I want my art to represent things that are special to me. I create them knowing that they will become a future artifact.” Totem poles and baskets created by his ancestors have returned to the earth over time. In his other work he interprets both totems and baskets in glass that has the capacity to survive for millennia.

Within the pages of this special collector’s focus, read on to discover even more unique, three-dimensional treasures imbued with life and the spirit of the West.

Legacy Gallery in historic Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona, celebrates everything Western art. “The two most iconic names in Western art are Frederic Remington and Charlie Russell, both of whom were painters and sculptors. Sculpture in the Western art field has been important from the very beginning,” says Legacy Gallery owner Brad Richardson. “To take and put life into a chunk of metal by the use of a gesture and a glance takes a real artist. We’re fortunate in today’s Western art world that we have some of the best who have ever done this. At Legacy Gallery we’re pleased to represent many of those, including John Coleman, Tim Shinabarger, Blair Buswell, Paul Moore and many others.”Legacy Gallery, Headwinds, bronze, 20 x 12 x 6”, by Rick Terry.

Raymond Gibby, Wings of Protection, bronze, ed. 25, 6 x 8 x 6”

Dawn Weimer (1943-2017), Tamu, bronze, 20 x 25’

C.M. Russell Museum, Wapiti, 1927, wood, stain, paint, by John L. Clarke (1881-1970). Collection of the C.M. Russell Museum; Gift of Dorothy Jean McKay and Gordon R. Dutt, in memory of Dr. Gordon A. and Fleda Thurston Dutt.

The C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana, is all about the life and art of the iconic Western artist with which the institution is named for. While the museum has nearly 1,000 Charles M. Russell works in its collection—sculptures and paintings alike—it also showcases many other Western creators. Among the artists represented is John L. Clarke, who was a multi-talented Blackfeet artist best known for his wood carvings of local wildlife. In 1913, Clarke set up a rustic studio in East Glacier, Montana, where he began selling his carvings to tourists streaming into Glacier National Park, the museum notes. He often took advantage of natural imperfections and characteristics in the wood, which helped create and determine the features and look of his sculptures. Clarke was friends with Russell, whom he considered a mentor. Buffalo and Hunter and other Clarke sculptures are available for viewing at the C.M. Russell Museum.

C.M. Russell Museum, Buffalo and Hunter, 1937, wood, by John L. Clarke (1881-1970). Collection of the C.M. Russell Museum; Gift of Dorothy Jean McKay and Gordon R. Dutt, in memory of Dr. Gordon A. and Fleda Thurston Dutt.

Olva Stewart Pharo, Welsh Pony, bronze, 10½ x 11”

Olva Stewart Pharo, SPIRIT, bronze, 18”

Margaret Drake, Mr. Remington’s Cowboy, bronze, 18 x 16 x 7”

Raymond Gibby of Gibby Bronze creates energetic, dynamic and often life-size bronzes of North American beasts. “Special moments in wildlife are fleeting,” says the artist. “They come and go in a flash. Each wildlife encounter is a gift of mercy. One may long to remain in those breathtaking moments, but as time passes, those visions fade from the mind. Capturing wildlife events in sculpture can help the mind to remain in the vision of inspiring wildlife encounters.”

Raymond Gibby, On the Move, bronze, ed. of 10, 48 x 54 x 23”

Dawn Weimer (1943-2017), Rocky Mountain Rumble (rendering of installed work), bronze, 14 x 42’

Susan Kliewer, Shearing Time, bronze, ed. of 35, 8½ x 3½ x 13”

Dawn Weimer (1943-2017), Colorado Ruler, bronze, 20 x 31’

Artist Dawn Weimer passed away in 2017, but the legacy of her wildlife and figurative bronzes remains. Dawn Weimer Studios LLC is owned and managed by her husband Tom Weimer. During her short 15-year career, she created more than 100 different pieces—from table-sized treasures to larger-than-life monuments—and has permanently placed more than 50 life-size or larger bronzes in public places across the country.

Margaret Drake, Saber Charge, bronze, 18 x 24 x 11”

Olva Stewart Pharo, American Quarter Horse, bronze, 10 x 11¾”

Raymond Gibby, Victory, bronze, ed. of 20, 13 x 15 x 7”

At the moment, artist Susan Kliewer has been focusing her attention on the everyday life and culture of the Diné/Navajo from the late-1800s. “My inspiration comes from the Navajo friends I came to know and love while running the Marble Canyon Trading Post in the 1970’s,” says Kliewer. “Today many of the old ways still exist out on the reservation.” Her advice to collectors: “‘Art is an affair of the heart.’ When you fall in love with a piece, painting or sculpture, it should go home with you.”

Susan Kliewer, Canyon Memories, bronze, ed. of 35, 13 x 8½ x 6”

Sandy Graves, Majesty, bronze, 32 x 15 x 9”

Glen Rose, Texas-based artist Margaret Drake says, “When thinking of my audience, I strive to express strength, grace, motion, rhythm and beauty in a format that embodies just that. I want to appeal to the viewer by creating pieces that express movement and power, in order to tug at their emotions. I want to share with them what I see in my mind.” Her bronzes, from Native Americans to cowboys to wildlife, channel the spirit of the West.

Sculptor Olva Stewart Pharo specializes in bronze portraits. “I have ridden and sculpted and drawn horses all of my life,” she says. “I never tire of attempting to capture the beauty and grace of the horse.” —