Paul Rhymer worked as a taxidermist and modelmaker at the Smithsonian Institution for 25 years, and while he earned a degree in drawing and painting in 1984, his time spent at the Smithsonian undoubtedly shaped his career working in three-dimensional art. Having retired in 2010, Rhymer now devotes himself to his tactile sculptures of North American wildlife.

Three Man Band, bronze, ed. of 25, 73 x 12 x 12 in.

You always know when you’re looking at a Rhymer sculpture. While the overall forms of the animals he depicts are highly anatomically correct, the clay doesn’t always perfectly mimic fur or feathers. Instead, you’ll find big, textural chunks of clay and indentations that clearly reveal where Rhymer’s hands worked with the material. The feathers of Gambel’s quail or the fur of a black bear all translate as such to the brain when viewing his sculptures, and yet, there’s an undeniable textural energy and dynamism to his work that truly sets it apart.

“That’s the mystery of it,” says Rhymer. “You can overwork it. That’s always the thing you’re trying to figure out. How far do you take it? I think as you work on things, you start to get a better idea of where the finish line is, but a lot of times you’ll be working on something and you struggle with it, and then all of a sudden you turn a corner and you know where you need to go.”

He references the famous Chuck Close quote, “Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work.”

Simple Twist of Fate, bronze, ed. of 25, 26 x 35 x 16 in.

 

“You just have to put in the time,” Rhymer adds, “and then you have more of an idea of what your artistic voice is. But that just comes with time, at least for me…And I love to work. It’s not to say I don’t get inspired, but usually those inspirations are ideas I’m already building on.”

Growing up in a house full of artists and animal lovers, Rhymer has been hunting, fishing and making art his entire life. (His dad was also a taxidermist.) “I still do a lot of hunting and fishing, and my wife and I are avid bird watchers,” he says. “[My background in] taxidermy also gives me a lot of technical information. If you’re skinning animals, you’re learning a lot about the anatomy of animals. Taxidermy was great for learning about sculpting wildlife.” As a keen hunter with a deep respect for the ecosystem, he’s often immersed in the outdoors, providing him with a more intimate understanding of his subjects.

Not Fade Away, bronze, ed. of 25, 72 x 24 x 12 in.

“I really love all that sort of stuff, and it either directly or indirectly contributes to what I do artistically. Even watching our dogs and how they move around, all of that information piles on. We’re out every morning with the dogs trying to figure out what kinds of warblers are coming through. Just watching how [animals] act, all of those observations are very informative, and we love doing all of that.”

He continues, “For me, what I try to do is capture an expression that combines a nice composition with some good anatomy, with a good attitude about that particular subject, and some sense of movement.”

While the range of beasts that Rhymer depicts is expansive—jackrabbits, bears, bobcats, javelinas, coyotes, etc.—birds often seem to take center stage. Take a glance at his oeuvre and you’ll find ravens, great horned owls, roadrunners, kingfishers, wood ducks and other avian species. Two recent sculptures, Simple Twist of Fate and Tangled Up in Bluefeature great blue herons, one in a stalking position and one standing upright. “[These pieces] are hat tips to Bob Dylan,” Rhymer explains. “I use tons of musical references in my work. My first attraction to this project was just the amazing knot-like shape of the resting heron. That single shape was the hook that drew me in. The project just grew from there.”

Tangled Up in Blue, bronze, ed. of 25, 44 x 22 x 20 in.

Roadrunner Ladder Totem, bronze and wood, ed. of 5, 86 x 28 x 12 in.

Box of Rain is a deeply intimate piece of a mourning dove, a reflection of both loss and resilience during a painful time in which Rhymer and his wife lost three parents in a five-month span. The dove appears to be peacefully resting, eyes gently closed and head nestled into its neck feathers.

Another recent work titled Kokopelli depicts the Western folkloric chimera known as the jackalope, a hybrid jackrabbit and antelope. “Kokopelli is a fun attempt at combining two huge Western legends. A few people have tried to educate me on the difference between the two; that they aren’t the same thing. I guess they think I’m just a dumbass redneck. Well, I kinda am. But I’m not that dumb,” he laughs. “I reminded them that art doesn’t have to be literal. And even rednecks can use symbolism.”

Dinner for Two, bronze, ed. of 25, 18 x 18 x 8 in.

Box of Rain, bronze, ed. of 25, 9 x 3 x 3 in.

Collectors will have the chance to chat, debate and dive into the thought processes behind the sculptor's work this July during A Weekend with Paul Rhymer at Legacy Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The annual tradition brings artist and collector together over two days—this year on July 24 and 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“I’ve been at Legacy Gallery for 14 or 15 years, so I know tons of people in Santa Fe, [and] have lots of old friends who come by. And it’s always great to hear how people are responding to the new work,” Rhymer says. “I learn so much about art from how people respond to what you do. I’ve learned a lot about my own work through the eyes of other people. Also to see what other artists in the gallery are doing. You can see so much and get inspired by other artists as well.”

Rhymer adds that with the typical opening reception, he only gets a few hours to meet with friends and collectors, but a whole weekend allows him the space to be much more casual, thorough and relaxed.

Kokopelli, bronze, ed. of 25, 23 x 9 x 8 in.

“Legacy gives me the space to do all kinds of zany stuff, and they’re totally there for me on that,” he says.

The artist has exhibited his work in distinguished art shows with the National Sculpture Society, the Society of Animal Artists, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum’s Birds in Art and the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s Night of Artists. Rhymer’s sculptures can also be found in museums, public parks and private collections across the country. Learn more about the artist at www.rhymerstudio.com. —

Red Ryder, clay, 13 x 11 x 21 in.

A version of this article also appears in the July issue of Western Art Collector. 

A Weekend with Paul Rhymer
July 24-25, 2026, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Legacy Gallery
225 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 986-9833, www.legacygallery.com 

Powered by Froala Editor