Steve Kestrel grew up in New Mexico, raising and training quarter horses. He resides with his wife, Cindi, on a 62-acre “wildlife preserve” in Colorado’s Redstone Canyon.
He won the James Earl Fraser Sculpture Award in 2019 & 2017 & the Prix de West Purchase Award in 2013 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Gold Medal for Sculpture -‘The West Select’- 2011, 2012 & 2013 at the Phoenix Art Museum
Artists Choice Award- 2017, Featured Artist- 2011, ‘Best of Show’- 2005 & 2008 - at the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale
Purchase Award,‘ Night of Artists Show’- 2013 at the Briscoe Art Museum
People’s Choice Award- 2007 & Red Smith Award- 2008 at the National Museum of Wildlife Art
Click on the images below to view Steve Kestrel's artwork available for sale at this year's show.
Rock Squirrel Nestingstone Sculpture - Colorado Granite Riverston & slate base 8 x 14.5 x 12 inches Edition of 1 Price: $22500
Mourning Stretch (two doves)
Pondhawks At Waterline
Monument for the Last Horned Lizard
I wanted to carve this rock squirrel nest with a new twist, the goal being a sculpture that was whimsical, but with a dash of 'head scratching' mystery. I had seen several stone carvings by a Spanish artist, Jose Manuel Castro Lopez..... he has developed this technical 'sleight of hand' with stone & they are beautifully simple & intriguing. But the gist of his work was mainly about fooling the viewers eye....making the stone look as if it had just been softened, cut & peeled back.... and that's it. I wanted to go further with the idea & interject animal figures underneath the lid of the stone, so I experimented with a carving last December that had a mouse nest under the lid of the stone, which I gave to my wife, Cindi, for her birthday present. So if I've succeeded, there will hopefully be some 'head scratching' when viewers encounter Rock Squirrel Nestingstone.
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