Legacy Gallery | July 26-27, 2024 | Santa Fe, NM

Animal Behavior

New works by wildlife sculptor Paul Rhymer will be on view at Legacy Gallery this July.

By Alyssa M. Tidwell

An avid fisher, hunter and birder, Paul Rhymer is well acquainted with the physical forms and behaviors of wildlife. He’s a highly accomplished sculptor, creating bronzes of bears, birds, rabbits, coyotes, stags, bobcats and more—all of the creatures one might expect to find in the North American wilderness. Rhymer will be visiting Legacy Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for a weekend in July to show some of his latest works and chat about them with collectors.

Jumping Jack Flash, bronze, ed. of 8, 101 x 46 x 35 in.

“Sculpture combines my lifelong love of art, animals and a life outdoors,” says Rhymer. “My work reflects that life. And while I often just sculpt an animal purely for the interest of portraying that animal, I sometimes use them to discuss how I’m feeling about the world around [me]. Music [also] has a huge influence on my work.”

Pancho & Lefty, bronze, ed. of 25, 10 x 12 x 11 in.

The sculptor describes his style as impressionistic, while still maintaining accuracy in the anatomy and behavior associated with whatever species he’s depicting. This rings true in all of his work. His sculptures have a definitively artistic hand. Visible indentations and textures within the clay provide clear evidence of Rhymer’s direct interaction with the material, imbuing a part of himself into the work.

A standout piece that will be featured in the two-day show is the bronze Jumping Jack Flash, measuring at 101 inches tall. The bronze depicts a larger-than-life jackrabbit, with textured markings in its fur, standing upright on high alert. Its ears are poised upward and outward, as if listening intently to its surroundings. “Jumping Jack Flashwas initially done as one of a pair of jackrabbits,” Rhymer explains, “just a fun pairing of two interesting animals perfect for exploring sculpturally. After a while I realized that [the piece] would look awesome really big. I’m 6 foot 5, so I knew it had to be bigger than me. So I scaled it so when I stood next to him, we’d be eye level with one another. With ears, that made him 8½ feet tall. Pretty fun.”

Earth, Wind, & Fire, bronze, ed. of 25, 75 x 22 x 17 in.

Another bronze in the show, Mama Bear, captures a black bear who looks as though she’s relaxing and taking a short break from her busy life. “My mother has painted her entire life. When she was 12 she went to the zoo and made sketches of a bear there. She came home and sculpted a small bear with clay from those sketches. It is one of my most prized possessions,” says Rhymer. “Even at that age, she really caught the lovely gesture of the animal. I asked her if she minded if I use the pose for a life-size piece. I call it a collaboration between me and my 12-year-old mother. Hence the title, Mama Bear.”