Wood Carver Michael Bryant

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Michael Bryant

- Artist Biography & Awards -

Michael Bryant, wildlife artist. Easier said than done! Born in Oregon, and raised into the construction business, I lived that life for 17 years, missing that connection between life and self. Married, and with a small family started, I found myself out of work in 1996. Broke, and with my brother’s wedding coming, I was compelled to make something with my own hands; all new to me. My first piece, the wedding present for my brother, was a sculptural lamp. Everybody loved it. I loved it. So I pursued my new passion; natural shapes made into fine rustic furnishings. It was great walking the vast High Desert and finding these wonderful pieces already shaped by their environment, but still, it wasn’t that creative level I yearned for.

Sometime in the year 2000, I decided to carve an abstract wildlife shape out of a root wad….it had great lines, but it was missing definition. After gathering information about tools from a local carver, I was on my way, armed with new tools, mentors, Mom and Dad and my friend Leigh, and my critics, my wife and kids. My first piece was to be a family of bobcats carved from a beautiful, large redwood burl. **Mentor** Leigh said “Finish all your work to the end.”, so I did, and that huge $2,000 burl was transformed into a tiny 12” tall piece of wood that resembled a kitten. But I saw it through, and that made the difference.

The uniqueness that my life now offers is a cumulative effort of skill, love and passion, birds, mammals, fish, and wood. These things all interact in an all-organic form. Their beauty lies within their lines of motion. From a raw log, I start with an idea, a feeling, if you will. I go with my intuition and the wood talks to me. The curve of a crane’s neck, the attitude of a horse’s body, these are all things that happen when my work and I are on the same plane. And when that happens, it seems effortless, like I’m in open space with the creatures as they live. It’s as if I am a part of their world for a moment in time.

The actual process of carving, shaping, and smoothing character into these pieces is my personal connection, but what really inspires me is watching people’s reaction to a sculpture. Their emotions….when they look, touch, feel the lines of a piece, that’s what I feed off.

We’re a family of five now, and working in my shop at home has its great advantages: numerous bus stop commutes with the kids, interactions with them, and more play time because I’m home now. My parents live close. Both accomplished artists, one a painter, the other a sculptor, they are my encouragement, and my friend Leigh continues to share his insights with critiques of my work. But most of all, I am so grateful for the love and support of my wife and children. Life is good.

Michael, who lives in Oregon, is a prolific artist. Major events where his work was shown, in 2005 alone, include: Scottsdale Arabian Nationals, Lapine Frontier Days Art Show, the Bend Summer Festival, Cheyenne Frontier Days, the Cowboy Ball Invitational Art Show in Nashville, Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, and the National Finals Rodeo Cowboy Christmas in Las Vegas. He received the First Place Award for sculpture at Lake Oswego, as well as the People’s Choice Award at the Lapine Frontier Days. At the Cowboy Ball Fundraiser, his piece brought the highest price at the Auction, $15,000!

At the 2006 Calgary stampede western art auction Michael was named best new artist and in 2007 was awarded best artisan at the stampede . Michael was also invited to be one of the guest artists for the Ranchero visit adores celebration in Santa Barbara Ca, and in june of 2007 was invited to make a sculpture for the High Desert museums century old ranches show for which he created a piece entitled partners that was inspired by the Sage hollow ranch in central Oregon. Michael continues to make new and exciting sculptures from wood and stone and looks forward to sharing them with people that enjoy the beauty of natural media.

Awards 2005 - Present

2005-1st place award-Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, Portland, Oregon
2005- Cowboy Ball- Nashville Auction- Highest bid item $15,000- Nashville, Tennessee
2006-Best New Artist for Sculpture- Calgary Stampede Western Showcase, Calgary, Canada
2007-Cheyenne Museum Western Spirit Show, Cheyenne, Wyoming
2007- Best Artisan Calgary Stampede and Exhibition
Public Commissions
Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee

Private Commissions

Numerous National and International Commissions
2007 Shows and Exhibitions
Calgary Exhibition Western Showcase, Canada
Cheyenne Frontier Days Celebration, Wyoming
Loveland Sculpture Festival, Colorado
Toppenish Arts Festival, Washington
National Finals Rodeo, Nevada

Standing Tall - by Wood Artist Michael Bryant

Three's a Crowd - by Wood Artist Michael Bryant

Mr Attitude - by Wood Artist Michael Bryant

Autumn Harvest - by Wood Artist Michael Bryant

Untitled - by Wood Artist Michael Bryant

Elk (untitled) - by Wood Artist Michael Bryant

Last Dance - by Wood Artist Michael Bryant

The Landing - by Wood Artist Michael Bryant

Click on a picture for a larger image and ordering information

The Wood Carvings of
Michael Bryant

E-mail: michael@msbryant.com Website: www.msbryant.com

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