INSIDE Jackson Hole Art Auction • Kyle Polzin • Quest for the West • Wildlife Art SEPTEMBER 2015
97
UPCOMING SHOW
S HOW LO C AT ION JAC K S ON, W Y
Up to 15 works September 7-20, 2015 Trailside Galleries 130 E. Broadway Jackson, WY 83001 (307) 733-3186
KYLE SIMS
Nature’s view
I
A Day in the Slough, oil on canvas, 36 x 56"
The High and Mighty, oil on canvas, 60 x 40"
96
n Kyle Sims’ new wildlife exhibition, titled Their World, the Montana artist takes viewers deep into nature’s grasp to show them intimate views of the creatures that call the wilderness home. “The title is important to me. Their World is about the animals and their environment. But it’s also about us—we are a part of their world, too. And I want to give you a view into that world,” Sims says of his new major exhibition at Trailside Galleries in Jackson, Wyoming. “People and the animals…we all fit together.” The exhibition, which opens September 7 and continues through September 20, will feature a stunning elk scene measuring a massive 54 by 80 inches. The piece is titled A Meeting of Heavyweights and Sims says it might the most significant piece he has ever completed. “When you hit one out of the park, you can just feel it. It feels different than the others. And that’s how I feel with A Meeting of Heavyweights,” he says. “These elk are from Yellowstone. The elk and the bison are so easy to hang out with all day in the park. I’m taking you in a lot closer than you would ever be able to get. Like the title implies, these are big animals and there is no way you could be this close without something happening. I wanted to get close, to invite you into their world.” The new exhibition will also feature The Antics of a Goof, featuring a black bear, an animal Sims finds great amusement in watching and painting. “I enjoy depicting the lighthearted and whimsical side of black bears. They ramble about most of the day. They’re a serious animal to be reckoned with, but they are also pretty lighthearted,” he says. “I see a lot of similarity between dogs and bears, especially the way their eyes are and how they move them.” Another piece he is proud of is a A Day in the Slough, which depicts bison wading into Slough Creek in Yellowstone National
A Meeting of Heavyweights, oil on canvas, 54 x 80"
Park. The painting has several bison subjects, but the star is the central figure, a bull that cuts a marvelous and iconic profile against the creek’s gentle ripple. “Bison make for very accessible subjects. They’re easy to spend time with, and their subtle behaviors and antics are enjoyable to watch. The calf, for instance, will kick and run for no reason,” Sims says. “The look of a mature bull bison, the shape it makes in a landscape or against the sky, is very strong and pleasing. It just feels complete. And, frankly, perfect.” Fo r a d i re c t l i n k to t he e x h i b it i n g g a l l e r y g o to www.westernartcollector.com
The Antics of a Goof, oil on canvas, 30 x 34"
97