Frozen in Time

Collector's Focus: Western Sculpture

Bronze sculpture has had a long and passionate history with many segments of American art, but none quite like Western art, where bronze has been elevated by a century of iconic castings. Consider Frederic Remington’s Broncho Buster, Charles M. Russell’s A Bronc Twister, Charles Schreyvogel’s The Last Drop, Cyrus Dallin’s Appeal to the Great Spirit or James Earle Fraser’s The End of the Trail. These are works that are so famous that even novice Western art fans know them, if not by name then certainly by sight.

Amanda Markel, Mountain Heart, bronze, 43 x 70 x 12 in.

Not only is there a long history, but there is sustained support: museums acquire Western bronzes, auctions offer them to bidders, galleries represent sculptors and host bronze shows, and even many of the groups, like the Cowboy Artists of America and the Russell Skull Society, put sculptors on equal footing as the painters. This broad and enduring appeal of Western bronze is baked into the genre’s DNA in a fascinating and unique way that is still being felt today, especially with new and up-and-coming artists.

Consider Amanda Markel, whose marvelous wildlife work is winning over new collectors with her clever arrangements of ideas and forms, and also her sensitive portrayal of her subjects. Markel’s Mountain Heartis her first large-scale sculpture, which is already one of her most popular bronze works. It has already led to new commissions, including one from the Loveland High Plains Art Council that will allow the artist to expand the design to create two more wolves.

Dustin Payne, Secrets of the Mesa, bronze, 27 x 21 x 12 in.

In a short story titled A Story of Beauty from Brokenness, Markel writes about the work: “Silhouetted by the rising moon, the Bridger Mountain Range is depicted within a life-and-a-quarter-sized bronze wolf. Through fractured earth and relentless pressure mountains are formed. The great beauty and strength created by this force of nature echoes our own journey of transformation. Each of us has experienced deep brokenness and crushing pressure. Yet, these very things have formed mountains within us, forces of strength, tenacity, and courage. Mountain Heart stands as a reminder that out of our brokenness comes undeniable beauty.”

For Dustin Payne, his bronzes speak to the roughness of the West, and also the danger that can lurk around every corner. For his piece Secrets of the Mesa,Payne shows a cowboy with two horses racing through a desert scene. Unbeknownst to the rider, a mountain lion hides under a rocky ledge. The magic of the piece is that the mountain lion is only visible from certain angles, which creates a concealing quality to the composition. Payne and his family have had a long history in the art world, and today he’s part of the Cowboy Artists of America, which has a show every November in Fort Worth, Texas.

Top: Bryce Pettit, Fair Warning, bronze, 12 x 16 x 13 in.; Legacy Gallery, Throwing the Hooley Ann, bronze, ed. 6 of 25, 17 x 19 x 17 in., by John Hampton (1918-1999). Bottom: Legacy Gallery, The Wrangler, bronze, ed. 3 of 15, 65 x 34 x 34 in., by Scott Rogers; Legacy Gallery, Trail Break, full size bronze, ed. of 10, 21 x 60 x 15 in., by Rick Terry.

Colorado-based sculptor Bryce Pettit shows a different and more immediate kind of danger with his work Fair Warning, a bronze of a rattlesnake making itself very large and loud before it is forced to strike. There is a misconception that snakes want to strike at unsuspecting humans that trespass in the desert, but the truth is more nuanced: snakes would rather not be near humans at all, and the rattle on their tails is there to signal any would-be visitor to stay clear. Of course, they don’t want to bite humans, but will if provoked. Pettit captures the strength and hazard of the rattlesnake with Fair Warning, a work that shows his skill as a sculptor.

Legacy Gallery of Scottsdale, Arizona, represents significant sculptural art that includes a variety of subject matter. The gallery also carries monument-sized works like that of Scott Rogers’ bronze The Wrangler. “[His] unique experiences, from saving a drowned boy at 12 to winning a Golden Gloves boxing championship at 16, contribute to the authenticity of his sculptures…,” says Legacy representatives. “In Scott’s own words, his lifelong fascination with renegades, outlaws and stories of courage and freedom fuels his desire to use art as a means to inspire others to appreciate the beauty of life in all its forms.”

Top: Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Aesop’s Fable, bronze on stone, ed. of 9, 21 x 25 x 16 in., by Pati Stajcar; Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Ascend, glass and steel, 20 x 10 x 19 in., by Dave LaMure Jr. Bottom: Allen Eckman, Traditional Dancer, sealed cast paper original, 21 x 12 x 15 in.; Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Contemporary and Traditional Designs, bronze, ed. of 10, 19 x 20 x 15 in., by Doug Hyde.

We also hear from artist Rick Terry who shares that he became interested in bronze sculpture while visiting galleries in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. “It was back in the mid 1970s, a time when my work was in ceramic clay and fired at a local pottery shop. I brought up the subject of bronze to the owners of the shop and expressed my excitement at the creative possibilities I had seen in Jackson…” Years later, Terry took a job at a Sedona, Arizona, foundry. It became his passion.

Legacy artist John Hampton, now deceased, was raised in Brooklyn and developed a love for the West from seeing Tom Mix movies. “Acting out his fantasy of becoming a cowboy, he pretended he was roping cows by using his mother’s clothesline,” says the gallery. “He began illustrating pulp magazines with Western themes while he was in high school and at 16-years-old he won a contest for sketch artists. When World War II began, he served in an intelligence capacity in the South Pacific…” From his many experiences and active imagination, Hampton became known for brilliant works like Throwing the Hooley-Ann.

Top: Allen Eckman, Trails End Wind, (left) scaled cast paper (right) bronze, varied sizes; Bill Nebeker, Broken Words, Broken Peace, bronze, 28 x 15 x 12 in. Bottom: Bill Nebeker, Made Mama Mad, bronze, 24 x 23 x 16 in.; Barbara Meikle, Sunset Storm, bronze with patina, ed. of 30, 13 x 34 x 12 in.

Also representing impressive sculptural works is the Eiteljorg Museum, which will celebrate the 19th annual Quest for the West art show and sale from September 6 through 7 in downtown Indianapolis. “Beautiful sculptures and paintings, along with miniature works, by 50 top Western American artists will be available for purchase by pre-registered guests during the exciting weekend art sale and celebration,” explains museum staff. “Multiple bronze casts are available of Western sculptures created by several top sculptors like, Dave LaMure Jr., Pati Stajcar and Doug Hyde.

Barbara Meikle, Queen of the Prickly Pear, bronze with patina, ed. of 24, 24 x 21 x 18 in.

Quest for the West is known for the outstanding quality of the art and hospitality, with opportunities to meet artists. Saturday night, September 7, is the popular Quest for the West main sale, which is a fixed-price box-draw format. Art awards will also be presented during an awards dinner. On Friday night, September 6, many of the same artists will offer smaller, more affordable items during a miniature art sale. Artworks remain on view at the Eiteljorg through October 6.

Also, don’t miss a special exhibit of prominent paintings by Krystii Melaine, the 2023 Quest Artist of Distinction, on view September 7 through October 13. Both exhibits are included with regular museum admission.

Inspired by the Lakota culture, past and present in the Black Hills area of South Dakota, are artists Allen and Patty Eckman. They have been producing their medium of cast paper sculpture full time since 1987 and are internationally recognized as the premier masters of the medium. Whether the works are one-of-a-kind, or limited-edition originals and bronze, their works are as unique and original as the Fabergé Egg. The Eckman’s body of work is mostly Western art and wildlife, but other historical pieces and commissions have been produced in paper and bronze—even monuments. Many of their works are included in numerous museum collections. In addition, the two artists produce their own hand-made, acid-free paper themselves and sell it to artists learning their trademarked “Eckman Method of Cast Paper Sculpture.”

Patty Eckman, Jingle All the Way, cast paper, 19 x 14 x 8 in.; Bill Nebeker, Pick of the Remuda, bronze, 15 x 16 x 6 in.

Found in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art has unique sculptural pieces like that of Chris Turri and Barbara Burzillo. Growing up in New Mexico, Turri has always had a passion for exploring the back roads, hiking the deserts and scaling the mountains. Along his journeys, he has collected various remnants of discarded items. Of pieces like I See Wisdom and Story Totem Questa, the artist says, “The ‘zen moments’ are in the finished work. It may be a pile of metal when I start, but in the end, it’s a work of art. My background as a silversmith taught me to smooth the edges to emphasize the lines, polish it up and not to quit before it’s finished.”

Burzillo has been creating for as long as she can remember. She is a self-taught artist who works primarily in abstract, figurative bronze sculpture and painting. She revels in dramatic gestures and bright palettes. Her work frequently includes elongated, faceless, fantastical figures. Her sculptures and images convey a dynamic sense of movement. “I create art because it is a beautiful way to communicate at the deepest level with those around me,” she says. “Ultimately, all that matters is that my art speaks to your soul.”

Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Seguro, bronze, 17 x 12 x 10 in., by Barbara Burzillo.

Raised in Prescott, Arizona, Bill Nebeker was surrounded by ranches, cowboys and the Yavapai-Apache Nation. “I was exposed and intrigued by both groups of people—their cultures, clothing, weapons, horses and history,” he says. “Working on local ranches helping gather, rope and brand cattle, gave me models and many close friends. As my sculpting developed, I read and researched Native peoples so I could know even a tiny bit about how they lived and what they believed. Now I understand that I will never know enough about the Native tribes, but I’m enthralled telling my visions of them.”

For collectors drawn to Western art, Nebeker adds, “you might think about the research and authenticity each artist puts into their works. The history of the West is filled with myths and legends, but also intriguing true stories about amazing individuals with depth and dedication, that need to be told by artists and admired by collectors.”

Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, I See Wisdom, patina on reclaimed metal, 67 x 12 x 9 in., by Chris Turri; Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Story Totem Questa, patina on reclaimed metal, 49 x 10 x 2 in., by Chris Turri.

Barbara Meikle’s journey with sculpture began in 2009 when she created her first series of bronzes featuring some playful donkeys. Since then, she has widened her viewpoint and her cast of characters. “Thinking in three-dimensions has certainly helped my painting, as I was primarily an oil painter—although now I can safely say I am both a sculptor and a painter,” the artist explains. “I know that I feel more confident in painting animals because I’ve been sculpting them. [This includes] longhorn horses and bears now too, since I’ve recently visited Alaska and was able to photograph grizzly bears up close.” As for her technique and style, Meikle shares, “the hot color patina technique that I employ is a combination of traditional chemical colors and other pigments such as metal lacers and dies as well as acrylic paints. It’s a constant exploration, creating a painting in a sculpture when I patina a piece.”

Meikle also feels that collecting sculpture is a vital part of completing the journey as a true art aficionado. “Having something that is three-dimensional just creates more of an experience for the viewer and the collector combined,” she says.

Top: Raymond Gibby, Prickly Perch, bronze, 20 x 9 x 11 in.; Barbara Meikle, Summer Splooter, bronze with patina, ed. of 30, 5 x 7 x 10 in.; Raymond Gibby, Not Again, bronze, 8 x 8 x 7 in. Bottom: Raymond Gibby, Angry Bird, bronze, 13 x 25 x 19 in.; Margaret Drake, Chaparral, bronze with granite and wood base, 16 x 18 x 18 in.

Artist Raymond Gibby says he’s always been drawn to art because it is a language that doesn’t need to be spoken with words for it to be able to penetrate straight to the heart. “It can transcend generations and social classes. It can unite, heal and inspire,” he adds. “In these ways it taps into the language of the spirit, which we all have. Because of my art, I have been able to connect with all sorts of wonderful people who otherwise would have remained unknown and out of reach. It has blessed my life, and I would only suggest to collectors to find and buy art that speaks to them.”

Originally from northwestern Colorado ranching country, Margaret Drake strives for accuracy as well as aesthetics when creating realistic figures of animals and humans; winning awards such as best of show and director’s choice. Drake creates her own patinas, thus making each piece unique. Her sculptures have been permanently acquired by the Museum of Western Art, the Pearce Museum of Fine Art and the George Bush Intercontinental Airport. “With my work, I want people to smile and feel good when they see it,” she says. “I want them to appreciate the detail, accuracy and graceful motion of the represented subject.” —