Terry Lee is recognized nationally and internationally for being both a painter and a sculptor. His father, an avid hunter and fisherman, would often take Lee and his brother on adventures into the backcountry of North Idaho. It was on these excursions that Lee learned the value of hunting, to put food on the table and to gain appreciation for the big game animals that he paints and sculpts today.
Lee spent his youth on a working ranch just north of Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. He later opened a sporting goods store with his brother. The store was called Lee’s Outdoor Outfitter. Lee was an underwater scuba instructor (N.A.U.I. and P.A.D.I.), and taught diving for 18 years. After selling his portion to his brother, Lee’s sense of adventure led him to Southern California, where he taught diving and explored pursuing art as a fulltime career. In 1994, Lee left California to return to Idaho. He now resides in Coeur d’ Alene again, dividing his time between canvas and clay.
Lee has been described as a Fauvist, French for “the wild beat.” This is a style of painting with vivid expressionistic and non-naturalistic use of color that flourished in Paris in the early 1900s. This comparison comes as a great compliment to Lee, as one of his most admired artists, Matisse, was regarded as the movement’s leading figure. Lee’s trademark giant canvases and bold color encapsulate his unique style as a contemporary and impressionistic artist. His form of realism is easily recognized and appreciated by his collectors.
Even with Lee’s fiercely busy schedule, he often can be found fishing in Alaska or chasing moose through a marsh just outside of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
His equal prowess as a sculptor makes him a formidable force in today’s art world. Lee’s introduction to sculpting came through the forged friendship of master sculptor, George Carlson. For over 10 years, the two sculpted together weekly with live models. Today, Terry is ranked among a select few of the world’s most appreciated sculptors. His laid-back persona has endeared him to collectors all over the world.
Terry has gained great recognition and is represented in galleries in Wyoming, Montana, Utah and New Mexico. In addition, his bronzes have been sold and collected by several museums, including the Bell Museum and the Uline Art Collection.
Lee was hired in 2008 to sculpt statues of the moose and mouse characters from the children’s book “Mudgy and Millie.” Mudgy and Millie play hide-and-seek at various locations in the town of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. At each of the stops along the 2-1/4-mile Mudgy Moose Trail, Mudgy searches for his playmate Millie, who has secretly been hiding in his antlers all along! This tour around town has become a “must do” for locals and tourists to showcase Coeur d’Alene’s beautiful hills, lakes and public library.
The City of Coeur d’ Alene commissioned Lee to do a monument trail featuring life-size figures of the history of the city: “The Working Man” and “The Idaho Farmer.” Lee is currently finishing a lumberjack, which will be followed by a miner and a WWII Navy nurse. He also has created two animal monuments, a larger-than-life-size moose (10 ft. high x 13 ft long) and a life-size grizzly bear.
Lee is proud to be honored as SCI’s 2019 Artist of the Year. His painting “Moose Flats” (30” x 40”) will be available at the evening auction. In addition to bringing many spectacular paintings to the show, he also will be exhibiting a life-size sculpture of a Maasai warrior and maiden.
Please stop by Terry Lee Studio, booth #3047 during the show; he would love to meet you.
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About the SCI Hunters’ Convention:
Safari Club expects upwards of 24,000 worldwide hunters to visit
Reno, Nevada, January 9-12, 2019. The SCI Hunters’ Convention represents the largest and most successful event to raise money for advocacy to protect hunters’ rights. The 2019 Hunters’ Convention will be held at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center with over 452,000 square feet of exhibits and almost 1,100 exhibiting companies.
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