Wildlife artwork is created in a wide variety of mediums and formats. However, when you mention the term “wildlife art” it tends to evoke an image of a painting for most everyone. But there’s far more to the genre than what can be rendered in two dimensions.Wildlife sculptures can depict perhaps the closest likeness of an authentic animal of any artistic medium.
There is also something uniquely tactile about sculptures and it is difficult for one viewing a piece to not want to reach out and touch it! In addition, unlike paintings and photographs, a sculpture captures the essence and likeness of a wild creature from every angle. In other words, a wildlife sculpture is a three-dimensional experience.
Wildlife Sculpture Artwork: Multi-Sensory Wildlife Art
Mustangs of Las Colinas by Robert Glen
Famous artists such as Frederic Remington specialized in depictions of the American Old West. And, while not a “wildlife artist” exclusively, many of his better-known pieces depict animals, mostly horses, but an occasional steer or bison, as well.
Today, many wildlife artists, emulating the likes of Remington, have created an amazing body of wildlife artwork, including hundreds of artists who work as sculptors.
Throughout North America, for example, life-sized and even larger-than-life statues depicting animals are exhibited in plazas, lobbies, and fountains. The outdoor chain of Cabela’s is known for its stunning sculpture showpieces often situated outside their store entrances.
But these are mostly inaccessible to the average wildlife art lover and not very feasible for most homes!
However, the good news is that there are plenty of beautiful and unique wildlife sculptures that can be acquired by most everyone. A stunning bronze sculpture of a grizzly bear or bison sitting prominently on a table in a den or great room, for example, can add an element of the great outdoors along with a touch of “wildness.”
In addition, wildlife sculptures can be a great investment, as is true with almost any original or limited edition prints of wildlife art.
One of the most prolific artists creating wildlife sculptures is Stephen Herrero. His pieces are renowned for their ability to capture both the balance and harmony inherent in wild creatures, as well as a vibrant sense of kinetic energy.
Born in Texas and growing up in rural Nevada, Herrero discovered sculpting at the age of 30 while working in a small, logging town in Northern California.
He approaches the sculpting process beginning with a search for a unique branch of wood, or slab of stone, that sparks his creative energies. By studying each piece and appraising every curve and line, he eventually decides how it will evolve. It’s been noted that his finished pieces evoke a "connectedness” between his Native American and wildlife figures and the elements from which he creates them.
Stephen is one of more than a dozen wildlife artists featured at Wild Wings and a nationally acclaimed sculptor.
From Mountain Peaks to Wilderness Lakes: Wildlife Sculptures Capture Beauty and Life
Encounter—Elk & Bear by Danny Edwards
One of the unique aspects of wildlife sculpture is the ability to depict an animal in a lifelike pose and in three dimensions. However, one of the “drawbacks” or limitations of a sculpture is the limited ability to portray the surroundings, unlike a painting.
Different artists take varying approaches to this problem.
For some, it isn’t even a consideration. They simply create a sculpture of an animal and forego any attempt at recreating the ground, nearby foliage, or any surroundings whatsoever. The viewer is left to their own imaginings to “fill in” the background, so to speak.
Others take great pains to place their wildlife subject in as much of the environment as they can sculpt. Rocks, shrubs, and even trees can become an integral part of a wildlife sculpture depending on the medium and the artist.
Some artists lean towards the more stylized or even fanciful approach with sculptures that only feature an animal’s head, such as those of Greg Peltzer or Arich Harrison. Others tend to create wildlife imagery that borders on the surreal or iconic, such as pieces by Valeria Yost and Stephen Herrero.
Of course, when it comes to wildlife art, everything mustn’t always be so serious despite the majestic beauty inherent in the subjects. Playful and fanciful sculpture creations such as playful bear characters in canoes or kittens and puppies.
But much like paintings and wildlife photography, the setting is often an integral part of the image. However, when it comes to wildlife sculpture, skilled artists are able to evoke a tangible sense of that setting without having to create an entire backdrop of some kind.
Wildlife Sculptures from Wild Wings
Wild Wings offers exclusive and high-quality sculptures for sale by renowned wildlife and nature artists such as Danny Edwards and Greg Peltzer who have created numerous powerful and realistic wildlife sculptures.
Prolific sculptors such as Stephen Herrero and Joe Slockbower succeed in capturing the beauty, grace, and majesty of their subjects. They and others are proudly represented in Wild Wings’ collection of wildlife sculptures.
For those who are admirers of Africa’s big game, we have beautiful bronze casts of giraffes, elephants, lions, and zebras that are fantastic. And there are dozens of grizzlies, eagles, bison, wolves, waterfowl, and other North American subject wildlife to choose from.
Of course, no collection would be complete with a selection of adorable tabletop sculptures of bunnies, kittens, puppies, pigs, foxes, lynx, chicks, chimpanzees, owls, and others - all perfectly crafted for fans of cute animals.
Wildlife sculptures are available in a variety of mediums including cast bronze, reclaimed wood, rustic textured metal, polished crystal, and many more. From hyper-realistic to stylized and abstract to rustic and simple the sculptures in Wild Wings’ wildlife collection are made with every decorative style in mind.
The results are stunning artwork pieces that anyone who loves wildlife and the outdoors will be proud to display in their homes, lodges, and mountain cabins.
Wild Wings is the leader in wildlife-themed art, and we pioneered the wildlife art industry with over 2,500 print editions produced since 1968.
Today, Wild Wings stocks over 1,000 outdoor and wildlife art prints, along with hundreds of sculptures, representing 75 of America’s top artists, and our Wildlife Art collection offers buyers the perfect combination of beauty, quality, comfort, and uniqueness.
