In the mountains around Steamboat Springs, the wilderness only reveals itself to those willing to stand still. My work comes from these moments — some found in the quiet passage of a rider through the aspens, and others rooted in a lifetime of real encounters with the great predators of the West.
Quiet Power
Not every encounter is gentle —
Not every encounter is gentle —
sometimes the wild shows its teeth.
Spring comes quietly —
Not every encounter is gentle —
the high country wakes, leaf by leaf.
A small voice in the high country
A small voice in the high country
— the trees listen.
Quiet Passage
A rider crosses through the aspens near Mount Werner. Snow, stillness, and an old barn. This is Steamboat country — quiet, steady, and close to the wild.
A Word from the Artist
Most people see wildlife in photographs or watch from a distance. I learned by being near them.
My father was a wildlife officer in the years before tranquilizer guns. He used ropes, patience, and leverage to capture and relocate animals that had come too close to people, livestock, or trouble. As a boy, I went with him.
We worked the cougars in pairs. My father or one of my brothers would handle the rope at the head. I held the tail. There were many over the years. I can still feel their power.
I paint what I feel from those memories, standing close to animals most people only see in photographs. My art is not just about watching animals. It comes from touching them.
The Door is Open.
This Steamboat page is one of many quiet doorways into Spirit Lake Art — a body of work born of ink and memory.
If something here moved you, the rest is waiting.
Stay Connected
From time to time, I share quiet notes from my studio — new paintings, reflections from Spirit Lake, and updates of ongoing projects. Join below, or email me at Terry.SpiritLakeArt@gmail.com.
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