Julie Bender - Member Profile

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile

Julie Bender

Signature Member

Pyrography, USA

An artist-at-heart as a child and through college, Julie Bender earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1980. However, it wasn’t until 2002 that she serendipitously stumbled across the art of pyrography. Self-taught in this medium, her strong passion for it is now matched by the accurate and artful portrayal of her subjects.

Her fiery depiction of nature and wildlife makes an uncommon departure from that of conventional paintings. However, Julie proudly aligns herself with such artists and continues to break ceilings in a world of fine art that is steeped in tradition and normally reserved for those who engage in more commonly universal media – the same world that now readily extends her invitations into prestigious shows and exhibitions.

Julie's work is regularly accepted into Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum's BIRDS IN ART and our annual juried show ART AND THE ANIMAL in which she has received several awards. Her work has hung in many museums and she has been featured in many books and magazines including Western Art Collector Magazine , SPORTING CLASSICS, Southwest Art Magazine and Horses in Art magazine.

To Learn more about Julie and her e work please visit www.juliebender.com

   

Paul Rhymer - Member Profile

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile

Paul Rhymer

Signature Member & Board of Directors

Bronze Sculpture, USA

Paul comes from a family of artists and has drawn and painted his whole life. After receiving an Associate of Arts degree from a local college in 1984, he accepted a job at the Smithsonian Institution doing taxidermy and model making and retired in 2010. As a result of so much three-dimensional work in his museum job, his own personal artwork gradually began to transform from painting and drawing into sculpture. Being an avid birder, waterfowl hunter, and taxidermist gives him constant anatomy and behavioral learning experiences that inspire his sculpture.

Paul’s work has been exhibited in such prestigious art shows such as the National Sculpture Society, the Society of Animal Artists and Birds in Art. His wildlife sculpture is at the National Zoo, National Museum of Natural History, the Denver Zoo, Woodson Art Museum, Hiraim Blauvelt Museum and various public buildings and parks and private collections thought the US. He is on the Boards of Directors for the Society of Animal Artists and the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art.

In May Paul's first monumental bronze of a bighorn sheep was installed in Tulsa, OKlahoma as part of a public art project. Paul was commissioned to do it by NatureWorks Wildlife Art Show after being selected from several entries.

Please visit Paul's website -- www.rhymerstudio.com/

Dale Weiler - Member Profile

Society Of Animal Artists Member Profile

DALE WEILER

Signature Member

Stone Carver, USA

Dale Weiler describes himself as a sculptor of stone. He chose this medium because of the “feel of the stone” and the technical challenge of working with probably the most demanding and unforgiving medium of all art forms. The thought of creating movement, power, fluidity and suppleness from a piece of marble, sandstone, limestone, alabaster or steatite constantly drives him.

Dale began his art career at the age of 45, having honored his father’s wishes for him to pursue a more “financially rewarding” profession than the art world. Given the fact that his father (Milton C. Weiler) was a highly acclaimed and world renowned wildlife water colorist, the temptation to follow in his father’s footsteps was considerable. Dale avoided that temptation as long as possible, but the love for art and the need to express himself artistically ultimately became too great a force to resist, and he began to sculpt in 1992.

Dale has been in many prestigious shows including BIRDS IN ART Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum of Wausau and his work is in many private, corporate and museum collections including the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, Salisbury University

You can learn more about Dale and his art by visiting www.daweiler.com

James Coe is Woodson's 2011 Master artist!

 James Coe selected as the
Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum's 32nd Master artist

James Coe

We are proud to announce that Society of Animal Artists Signature Member James Coe has been selected as the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum’s 2011 Master Artist and will be honored during the Museum’s 36th annual Birds in Art this fall. James has been a member of SAA since 2003 and has served on the Executive Board since 2009. An award-winning artist, he received the Hiram Blavelt Purchase Award in 2006, the Award of Excellence in 2008 and the “Western Art Collector” award in 2010.

James Coe, Last Light, Potic Creek, 2007, Oil on Belgian linen

“Jim Coe is an outstanding painter that goes beyond capturing the essence of wild fowl and landscapes. With his painterly style, he creates a mood and a genuine atmosphere. Jim is ‘an artist’s artist’.  He is invaluable on the SAA Executive Board, as he never fails to bring a thoughtful and intellectual presence to the meetings, and I value his wise counsel on various issues. His contribution to promoting the concept of excellence in the genre of animal art is significant, and he is the ideal selection for this year’s Master Artist at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson’s Birds in Art Exhibition.”  – Diane Mason, President Society of Animal Artists

James Coe, Mill Pond Geese, 2006, Oil on Belgian linen

As the Woodson’s 32nd Master Artist, Coe’s work reflects a synthesis of two styles, weaving his insight and skill as a trained naturalist into fresh, deftly painted landscapes. Coe first became enamored with egrets and shorebirds that flocked to salt marshes near his suburban New York City boyhood home. After working for years as a field guide illustrator, he ventured into the art world and began painting landscapes en plein air.

For more information, check out the official announcement from Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum.

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