Animal Centric Art With a Twist

Coloradans love nature and all its creatures. But to make a fine art statement, our art expert suggests going rogue

June 6, 2022

Kate Meyers,

Michael Dowling, “Deer book #1,” Deer book painting by Denver artist Michael Dowling. Gesso and charcoal on recycled biography, $300.

I have been to too many mountain houses, condos, hotels and bars with black-and-white photographs of animals, mainly horses, in the snow. Yes, they are beautiful—but sometimes their presence feels like an overplayed pop song and I want to stop the music. I have nothing against horses or photographs or animal art. In fact, there is much to love that breaks the mold. The works that follow are unique cases in point.

Michael Dowling works out of a Denver studio and teaches art in town. This charcoal longhorn on canvas would look amazing in a big frame or just tacked up with some cool nails. “Longhorn,” 84″ X 51″, $3,000.

Lea Incandela’s work fills much of the walls of Boulder’s Mateo restaurant. She loves to marry animals (monkeys, giraffes, zebras—you name it) with bold concepts and color. This recently sold work, “Bull in a China Shop,” is 48” x 48”; Incandela’s work in that size runs $5,000 and up.

Denver artist/creative Michael Vacchiano has produced multiple art installations for big corporations including Google. “Glass Houses” is oil on panel, 30” x 40”, $11,500.

Jeff Barton lives and works in Denver. He does his painting out of a very cool garage studio. His cow “Karl” is my all-time favorite bovine. Acrylic and oil on canvas, 4’ x 4’, $8,000, with wooden frame. In the artist’s words: “Bright colors, Grateful Dead, and Livestock … why the hell not?! I want a piece to capture the viewers’ attention and draw them in for a moment.”