Kyle Sims | Tales of the Backcountry

By Bonnie Gangelhoff

Kyle Sims likes to tell stories of the real-life dramas that unfold daily in the wilds of the Southwest. Pronghorn sheep, deer, elk, cougars and bison are the stars of Sims’s stunning visual narratives. The Montana-based artist is known for his ability to capture not only the high drama but also the quiet moments in our natural world. For example, in SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST, Sims depicts a pair of bull elk with their antlers locked in a ferocious fight. The painting draws viewers into the center of the action, so they can imagine the sheer force and violence that occurred when these two humongous, 800-pound bodies collided in the backcountry. The piece is based on a scene Sims witnessed at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park.

Sims’s vivid storytelling talents have not gone unnoticed. Last year SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST won the coveted wildlife prize at the annual Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition & Sale held at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. At this year’s Prix de West, which opens in June, Sims displays his ability to portray a more peaceful slice of life in the wild. In the painting CONTENTMENT, a mountain lion lies in elegant repose, its body sprawled across a field of delicate yellow wildflowers. “Mountain lions are one of my favorite animals to portray, and it has everything to do with their face,” Sims says. “They can have an intense, focused gaze while roaming about or a look of pure contentment that can bring a sense of happiness to the viewer.” Another work for the show, CHILDREN OF THE WATER, depicts several otters perched and ready to join in the dance through the waters.

When asked how he would describe the style of his work, Sims has a ready answer, “Painterly realism that evokes the wonder, beauty and excitement of the natural world.” To help achieve the “painterly” sensibility, he often employs a palette knife. “At some point it became apparent to me that if I try to sculpt a painting that it can greatly enhance the paint quality,” the artist says. “I do most of my sculpting around the focal point, leaving the backdrop more impressionistic and thin paint-wise.

His creative process varies from painting to painting. He regularly visits America’s grand national parks, such as Yellowstone and Glacier, where he observes his subjects firsthand and gathers mountains of reference material. “An idea might start with the gesture of an animal that I have to fit a scene around or it may begin with a landscape that I incorporate an animal or animals into,” Sims explains. “Or an idea might begin with an interest in a composition done by a past master that I morph into my own.”

Pierce Tome, co-owner of Astoria Fine Art, which represents Sims, calls the wildlife artist a true master of his craft, one who transports viewers into the scenes he paints. “The quality of Kyle’s paintings not only resides in the fine brushwork in the animals,” Tome says, “but Kyle’s ability to capture the marriage between the natural world and its inhabitants is what makes his paintings special.”

Sims grew up on the outskirts of Cheyenne, Wyoming, amid 60 acres of pastureland in a region called Happy Valley on a street named Happy Jack Road. If his upbringing sounds idyllic, Sims says it was, indeed. On his morning walk to school, he passed pronghorn sheep. When not in school, he roamed the rural terrain that surrounded his home, often on the hunt for crawdads and crayfish. As a youngster, he was always content to keep his own company. “I had no problem being by myself,” Sims says, adding that the personality trait complemented his eventual career of choice. It also proved useful during the COVID pandemic.

During his youth, Sims’s forays amid nature led to an interest in drawing, often birds, including goldfinches, juncos and yellow warblers. His love of drawing preceded any formal training. But his parents soon recognized their son’s artistic talent and encouraged him to pursue his passion. Luckily, Sims shares, his elementary and high school teachers taught him the fundamentals and principles of art. They also let him explore his own interests and ways of working without forcing their personal views about what consists of “good art.”

By age 16, Sims was enrolling in workshops with artists who he determined made a living solely from their artwork, such as Terry Isaac, Daniel Smith and Paco Young. Even as a teenager Sims knew that he wanted to paint wildlife in a representational style. During those very early years in his career, he worked in acrylics because the paint dried faster. Sims cites Young as a major influence in his development as an artist. “It was Paco who really hammered home how important it was to get outside and paint from life,” Sims notes. “This method will, over time, train your eye to become accustomed to how actual life appears to the human eye and brain not the camera.”

After graduating from high school, Sims enrolled in Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, where he graduated in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in art. By the time he graduated, he had already studied with several of the country’s top wildlife painters. Gallery owners began to hear good things about Sims from older, established artists. In 2004, at the age of 24, he was invited to join Trailside Galleries in Jackson, Wyoming. That same year he was honored with the Distinguished Young Artist Award from the Society of Animal Artists. And in 2010 a show at the gallery was a near sell-out event. Thus, Sims was well on his way to becoming an established wildlife artist by the time he was 30 years old.

Today, Sims makes his home in the shadow of the Bridger Mountain Range outside of Bozeman, Montana. In 2010, Sims built his dream studio, a detached structure just steps away from the home he shares with his family. It is spacious in size with high ceilings so he can create a wide range of painting sizes. As this story was going to press, a painting titled THE FLIGHT AFTER THE FIGHT sits on an easel, finished and ready for the Prix de West. The scene depicts the aftermath of a battle between two bison. The loser bison is running off down a nearby hill while the victor lets loose a triumphant bellow.

The work was challenging for Sims. He kept trying to create the painting he had envisioned in his mind. Eventually, he found a solution after working on the piece for more than a month.

“I brightened up the clouds, and that helped a lot,” he says. “I used to paint 30 to 40 paintings in a year and that, for whatever reason, has dwindled to under 30. It isn’t on purpose, so I don’t know the reason other than I must be spending more time with each piece or idea.”

When asked about his goals for the future, Sims says he has accomplished just about everything that he could have imagined for his career. Simply being able to make a living in art was the biggest hurdle, he adds. There was a time early on in his career when he questioned whether pursuing his dream job, creating art, was the right path. But he kept working hard, watching the days, months and years go by. He says, “Every year I would say to myself, ‘Well, I’m still here.’ Then I finally stopped worrying about making a living and trusted in God. I knew that this is what I was meant to do.”

Bonnie Gangelhoff is a Colorado-based writer and former Senior Editor of Southwest Art.

Contact Informationkylesims.com

RepresentationAstoria Fine Art, Jackson, WY, astoriafineart.com.Broadmoor Galleries, Colorado Springs, CO, broadmoorgalleries.comPaderewski Fine Art, Beaver Creek, CO, sportsmansgallery.comMontana Trails Gallery, Bozeman, MT, montanatrails.comCoeur d’Alene Galleries, Coeur d’Alene, ID, cdagalleries.com

Upcoming ShowsPrix de West Invitational Art Exhibition & Sale, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, OK. June 6-August 3.Wildlife Masters, Astoria Fine Art, September 3-15.Western Visions, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, WY, September 6-28.

This story appeared in the June/July 2025 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Subscribe today to read every issue in its entirety.

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