With all due respect to the artists in other genres, it is almost without reservation that the wildlife artists have the most dramatic tales of gathering reference material. Because their stories from America’s wilderness areas are ones of great success or miserable failure.
Their adventures can have thrills and chills, but also fallow periods of intense quiet and boredom. They can get rain, snow, sleet, mosquitos, ticks, overturned canoes, broken tents, soggy food and soggier clothing. They go looking for bear, but see nothing but moose; then go looking for moose and see nothing but bear. They experience danger and calamity, but also moments of beautiful peace in the wild. All of this to see the most unpredictable subjects in the art world on their own terms—waiting for that certain pose, their calls in the morning light, their babies stumbling through a forest, the hunting of their prey.
Brett James Smith, Cautious Crossing, oil on linen, 14 x 40” Estimate: $10/15,000
Carl Rungius, one of the most beloved wildlife artists to paint on American soil, writes about tipped wagons, broken rifle sights and charging bears. And yet he couldn’t get enough of it, often spending months at a time out in the wild, only venturing back to the ranch for the occasional provisions every three weeks or so. His first American trip, from Germany to Maine, was to hunt moose. By the end of the excursion, as writer PJ DelHomme notes, “no moose steaks made it to the grill.” And yet Rungius was smitten by the adventure, so much that he would become the authority on wildlife art.
Dan Chen, The Treasure Chaser, bronze, ed. of 15, 16 x 18 x 17"
The thrill of that chase still inspires many wildlife artists today. Many of them will be showing their artwork at the 36th Annual Western Visions Art Show + Sale at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The long-running show will open this year on September 9 and run through October 1, though collectors are encouraged to attend the main event and sale on September 14.
“This year is shaping up to be a great show,” says Michelle Dickson, the director and program events at the National Museum of Wildlife Art. “The response from artists when we issued our invitation this year was quicker than past years. Everyone was immediately enthusiastic and excited to participate. And then I started seeing the artwork!”
Colt Idol, Lonely Blues, oil on linen, 36 x 40” Estimate: $8/12,000
This year’s show will be made up of 177 artists, each submitting one work to the exhibition. (The entire catalog is now viewable online at www.wildlifeartevents.org/gallery.) Among the 177 pieces will be 34 live auction works; the others will be sold in a fixed-price, by-draw sale. Both sales will take place on September 14.
Chad Poppleton, Father of the Elk – Stephen Leek, oil on panel, 26 x 40” Estimate: $16/24,000
“We really believe that by having 177 different artists we are able to offer a greater diversity of style, medium, subject matter and price points—it offers something for everybody,” Dickson says, noting that this year the museum will allow ticketholders to put their names in for the draw prior to the opening. “It will free up some of their time during the sale night, so they can enjoy the show more.”
Starr Hardridge (Muscogee Creek), Feral Heart, acrylic and acrylic-based Venetian plaster on canvas, 20 x 16”
Western Visions lands right in the middle of the 12-day Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival, organized by the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce. Some of the events include gallery walks, quickdraws and auctions, but Western Visions represents the only museum event. “During the Fall Arts Festival is always a great time to visit Jackson Hole. It is arguably during our best weather with warm days, cool nights and the leaves starting to turn. Every now and again we’ll get a powdered-sugar dusting on the mountains,” Dickson says. “It’s just a great time to visit Wyoming.”
Brian Grimm, November Eve, oil on board, 28 x 28” Estimate: $10/15,000
Artists in this year’s Western Visionsinclude William Alther, John Banovich, Amber Blazina, Jeremy Bradshaw, Ken Carlson, G. Russell Case, Tim Cherry, Lisa Gleim, Patricia A. Griffin, Steve Kestrel, Dan Knepper, Connor Liljestrom, James Morgan, Kyle Sims, Dustin Van Wechel, Carrie Wild and many others.
Robert Duncan, Winter’s Refuge, oil on linen, 36 x 36” Estimate: $16/24,000
The live auction will include a who’s who list of top wildlife artists: Edward Aldrich, Greg Beecham, Carl Brenders, Michael Coleman, Guy Combes, Ewould de Groot, Luke Frazier, Amy Lay, T. Allen Lawson and Bonnie Marris, among others. Although subject matter often displays a range of animals, this year’s show does show an emphasis on elk, deer, otters and bears.
Mary Roberson, Totems, mixed media, 34¾ x 48” Estimate: $8/12,000
One of the elk works is by Brian Grimm, who will be showing November Eve. The oil painting captures three subjects amid the soft glow of an evening sunset. Painter Robert Duncan’s elk piece, Winter’s Refuge, shows an elk taking a passing interest in two swans in the foreground as snow falls silently on the cold landscape. Brett James Smith offers a bit more danger in his elk piece Cautious Crossing, which depicts a stalking mountain lion in the foreground. Finally, Colt Idol’s Lonely Bluesoffers a vast moonlit landscape with a bull elk wading through shallow waters near the center of the painting. The tiny scale of the elk allows Idol to focus on the larger landscape.
Jay Kemp, Reflections of Jackson Lake – Trumpeter Swan, acrylic on Masonite, 13 x 24”
The exhibition also will be showing several artists who are known for their contemporary styles. These artists include Krystii Melaine, who paints abstracted forms around her more realistic animal subjects; DG House, who renders her animals in simple forms and colors; colorist painter Amy Ringholz; Andrew Denman, who plays with repetition in his work; Penelope Gottlieb, who offers a playful take on John James Audubon with her bird painting; and Starr Hardridge, a Muscogee Creek painter who paints tiny pointilist-like dabs that mimic Native American beadwork.
John Perry Baumlin, Hideaway, oil on cradled board, 12 x 24”
“We are so honored that artists give us their best work for this show. They make Western Visions a priority in their studios,” Dickson says, adding that the artwork, the season in Jackson Hole and the location of the museum all add up to a special time of year. “This is a magical space in September. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.” —
36th Annual Western Visions Art Show + Sale
September 9-October 1, 2023
• Main event and sale, Sept. 14, 5-9:30 p.m.
National Museum of Wildlife Art, 2820 Rungius Road, Jackson, WY 83001
(307) 733-5771, www.wildlifeartevents.org
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