There is a mood of triumph in Clark Bronson’s watercolor painting of a bald eagle with his catch. He perches on an ancient-looking twist of tree, the dead wood twining in silky spirals under the eagle’s talons. The bird has just pulled a cutthroat trout from the water— the fish a colorful ombre of pink, yellow, and blue. Beyond the eagle, in the distance, a range of mountains flank the bay or lake in the background. Wisps of clouds hug the mountain range, and large drifting stratus texture the blue sky.
Born in 1939 and raised in Kamas, Utah, Clark Bronson became one of the country’s most renowned wildlife artists. Bronson’s love of wildlife began early— his father was a game warden, and growing up in Summit County gave him plentiful exposure to the natural world. He started landing illustration contracts for Utah Fish and Game Magazine while still a teenager. Throughout the 1960s his work was in high demand, winning national awards and acclaim. He was the illustrator for two best-selling books: Album of North American Wild Animals and Album of North American Birds. At age 30 Bronson turned his focus to bronze sculpture. His work was collected by Winthrop Rockefeller and former President George H.W. Bush, among many others.
