Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/401545
S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S 3 6 character of each animal is a motivation for my work," Poppleton notes. "I want to portray my subjects at their best, not at their average." Sharkey, a Coloradan who spent part of his youth as a guide in Zambia, says that he didn't commission Poppleton to try and recreate any of his elk hunts in exacting detail. He enlisted the artist to take on a far more difficult task than simply conveying a mood. "Chad sent me four different sketches. He included me in the artistic process which I really appreciate," Sharkey explains. "The painting he delivered has a mountainous backdrop that could be any of the places where I love to hunt. The elk that live in remote wilderness around the Yellowstone region just have a different look in the way they carry themselves. You know it when you see it, and Chad captured it." Poppleton has an uncanny ability to convey that magical ambiance of being outdoors we hunters savor – the colors and shadowlight that come later in the year; the chill in the air and scent of sun-dried grass and leaves that heightens the senses; the twitching moment of expectation that follows the wait, when the calm is broken by a rustle; and then the emergence of pure wildness moving out of the woods. It's that kind of feeling that Poppleton is so adept at communicating, Sharkey says. I have written about wildlife artists for more than 25 years, and the distinction I would apply to Poppleton is his astounding improvement in painting technique. "Whether he's in pursuit of his own elusive animal or carrying a paint box into the backcountry, it's having that intimate connection to nature that comes through in his paintings," Richardson says. "Chad knows that every elk isn't a 400-point bull. If you only paint giant 400-point bulls, you won't have a lot of credibility with sportsmen. "Most hunters believe it's the experience itself that lives larger than life. Only artists who are, or have been hunters realize that when you're pursuing the experience and not a trophy, then you're capable of creating something that really is timeless." Note: Todd Wilkinson has been writing about sporting art for more than a quarter-century. When you read these words, he is probably out hunting blue grouse in his home in Montana. He also is author of the new critically acclaimed book, Last Stand: Ted Turner's Quest to Save a Troubled Planet. TOUGH DINING