Terry Doughty

Terry, a self-taught artist who entered the wildlife art field 16 years ago after a hiatus from art for 18 years, finds his work an endless inspiration.

Every once in a while, you put out a really spectacular piece where everything comes together. But an artist is the same as a musician; he never stops learning! Always learning some little brush stroke or use of light that will make your next painting easier to do. It's a learning process that keeps going; never ending.

Terry lives his art. An avid fisherman and hunter, he does not separate the outdoor experience from his work. Instead, he continues the experience on canvas.

"If I'm out fishing and catch a bluegill, I'll sit and hold the bluegill in my hand looking at the colors in it. If I see ducks coming in, I'll remember what color the water is, how the light hits the side of the hill. When I'm out hunting, I always have my camera with me. I'll see the trees when the sun is going down and the glow is coming off the trees and take a picture of it. When the photos come back, it's not just a group of trees, but I'm looking at something different-I'm looking at the light."

Color and light are central to Doughty's award-winning paintings, but equally evident are the sense of proportion and naturalness with which he approaches his subject. He applies his concern for authenticity to his animal subjects as well. Experience as a taxidermist taught him attention to musculature and skeletal detail. He turns to references like full-mount deer manikins, the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Milwaukee County Zoo, a collection of zoological books and an accumulation of photos and sketches to ensure the accuracy of his subject's stance and movement.

As an avid fisherman, hunter and outdoorsman, Terry has maintained a lifelong commitment to wildlife and preservation of their habitat.