The Art: Bronze Elk Bust

Donor Name:  Collector's Covey

Artist Name: Mick Doellinger

Date of completion:  2007

Materials:  Bronze

Size:  Not available

Artist Bio: In the mid-60's Mick Doellinger was first exposed to art through meeting Australian figurative sculptor William Ricketts. The sculptor gave the boy some potter’s clay and suggestions, and fired Doellinger’s first crude pieces. It was not until many years later that he tried his hand at sculpting professionally. At 15 he started working on a thoroughbred training complex, riding young horses. Drawn to everything equestrian he began steer wrestling and traveled to compete in rodeos throughout the Outback. Years of guiding trophy deer hunters around the south pacific and boning out buffalo and cattle on commercial hunts gave him an in-depth understanding of anatomy, and provided him with a solid basis for what would become his future. With taxidermy becoming an obsession, he discovered that unlike the U.S., Australia had no supply companies for taxidermists to purchase manikins on which to mount the skins. What appeared to be a major inconvenience turned out to be his good fortune, as the burgeoning artist began to sculpt his own manikins. He began the process by wiring skeletons together in the desired compositions. Over this armature he created muscles, tendons and veins in modeling clay. His earlier work in the bush- spending months boning out 20-30 animals a day, 7 days a week- proved to be an invaluable experience when sculpting manikins and later bronzes. Doellinger’s work is represented in the U.S. by Collectors Covey (Dallas), Joe Wade Fine Arts (Santa Fe) and Richard James Galleries (Charleston). He has resided in Fort Worth, Texas for the last four years.

Estimated Value: $3,200.00