Back to Artist's Work

Tim Cherry produces sculptures which not only attract the viewer’s eye, 
but also the viewer’s hand.

“My sculptural approach involves the use of simplified shapes and lines to produce curvilinear forms. I enjoy orchestrating these elements into sculpture that is rhythmical, flowing and inviting to the touch. Capturing the grace and elegance of my subjects is a primary goal.”

Born in Calgary, Alberta in 1965, Tim grew up in the rugged Canadian Rockies in southeastern British Columbia. This is where he developed a love of wildlife and the outdoors. Escaping into the wilds was then, and still is, a spiritual experience. At sixteen Tim began working for a hunting outfit. The next twelve years saw Tim working with other outfitters who ventured further into the vast expanses of the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Throughout all of these experiences, Tim’s keen eye and mind were recording the shapes and movement of the wild animals of this vast wilderness. Tim’s love for these creatures led to an interest in taxidermy. At age 19 Tim worked with taxidermist Forest Hart at his workshop in Hampden, Maine. Hart specialized in sculpting mannequins - the artificial bodies used by taxidermists. Tim’s hand and mind became skilled in modeling animals’ musculature. He sculpted models for the production process in taxidermy, while learning animal anatomy from the inside out. Accompanying Hart to a New York foundry, Tim experienced the fascinating and magical process of fine art bronze for the first time. This observation led Tim to complete his first sculpture. 

In 1988 while Tim was living in Canada, he met noted sculptor Dan Ostermiller. “Ostermiller gave me the opportunity to begin my career,” Tim said. Tim then went to work in the studio of both Ostermiller and Fritz White learning the skills necessary for the sculptural process. Fritz was, and still is, a source of inspiration and a mentor.” White also gave Tim the opportunity to try stone carving in his studio. Carving alabaster, Tim began to find within it the shapes of the animals which were to become his life work, experimenting with graceful simple lines and forms. It was from that approach that Tim’s unique style resulted: an expression of each animal’s personality, movement and behavior. Grace and elegance truly are qualities immediately recognizable in Tim’s work, but another quality frequently present; is a sense of whimsy, which marks a number of his works. The bronze sculptures are also enhanced by Tim’s highly polished surfaces, which glimmer with reflective light making them incredibly tactile. 

At the age of twenty-five he gained membership in the Society of Animal Art.  At thirty, he was elected to membership in the National Sculpture Society and also the National Sculptors Guild. In 2001, Tim received the prestigious James Earl Fraser Sculpture Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, which is presented annually for the best sculpture in the Prix de West Invitational. Tim also received in 2001 the prestigious Bronze Medal from the National Sculpture Society for “Rivers Run”.

Awards

NSS Gold Medal and Maurice B. Hexter Prize - 74th Annual Exhibition "Flea Flicker" (2007) 

C. Percival Dietsch Prize - National Sculptor Society - 71st Annual Exhibition "Twig Trimmer" (2004) 

Elliott Gantz and Company Foundry Award - National Sculpture Society - 70th Annual Exhibit "Salmon Spiral" (2003) 

Bedi-Makky Art Prize - National Sculpture Society - 69th Annual Exhibition "Butter Ball" (2002) 

National Sculptors Society Bronze Medal - 68th Annual Exhibition - "River Run" (salmon) (2001) 

James Earle Fraser Sculpture Award - Prix De West Invitational - "Snake in the Grass" (cougar) (2001) 

Award of Excellence -Society of Animal Artist - "Hare Ball" (rabbit) (1997) 

Award of Merit -Anchorage Audubon Society - "River Mates" (two otters) (1989) 

Best Sculpture Award -Cheyenne Regional Show - "Dahl Sheep Portrait" (1989) 

Memberships 

National Sculpture Society - Elected to Fellow 2007 

National Sculpture Society - Elected to Membership 1996 

National Sculptor's Guild - Elected to Membership 1996 

Society of Animal Artists - Elected to Membership 1990 

Public Installations and Collections

Gilcrease Museum- Tulsa, Oklahoma - Twig Trimmer 

Booth Western Art Museum - Cartersville, Georgia - Snake in the Grass 

Leanin' Tree Museum - Boulder, Colorado - Several Sculptures 

Benson Park Sculpture Garden - Loveland High Plains - Arts Council - Loveland, Colorado - Night Shadow Formal Entranceway 

City of Cheyenne, Wyoming - Rabbit Reach and Royal Red 

City of Edmond, Oklahoma - Vertigoat and Royal Red 

City of Lakewood, Colorado - Maternal Wrap 

City of Little Rock, Arkansas - Rabbit Reach

City of Thornton, Colorado - Garden's Edge 

Village of Fox Run - Trophy Club, Texas - Maternal Wrap and Royal Red

Publications

Wildlife Art - Animals with Attitude (article) March/April 2006 

Art of the West - Magical Medium (article) July/August 2006 

National Sculpture Society - News Bulletin (article) January/February 2002 

Art of the West - A Whimsical World (article) November/December 2001 

Wildlife Art - (article) July/August 2001 

Southwest Art - Stylized Forms (article) July 1998 

National Sculpture Society - News Bulletin (article) June 1998