Like the work of the cowboy he depicts, Thomas learned the intricacies of sculpting and the bronzing process through hard work, trial and error. He started experimenting with clay while he was in college. He graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in Pre-veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, yet has had no formal training in sculpting.

The accurate depiction of horses, cowboys and ranch life includes the exquisite detail of bits, reins, harness, spurs and buckles all in their proper place. This accuracy comes from his boyhood experiences while growing up on several Wyoming ranches.

From grade school through high school, Thomas worked on ranches in remote western Wyoming, riding horses and working cattle alongside older cowhands. The personal knowledge of ranch life and the empathy for the hard realities of that life-style is transmitted into sculpture that is believable.

If you are taken with his sculpture, you will also be taken with the man. Mike Thomas is straight forward and unpretentious and seems almost surprised with his success and prestige as a sculptor.

This November at the exclusive Peppertree Art Show at the Peppertree Ranch in Santa Ynez, California, where Thomas had several of the sculptures pictured here on display, people politely waited their turn to speak with him directly and ask questions about his artwork.

His personality and his sculpture have a genuine clarity that comes from a person who knows who he is and what he¹s doing. Thomas has been sculpting full time since 1993. His bronzes are finished with a variety of patinas, each one distinctly enhancing its appeal. The photos of his work only partially convey the impact of his sculpture. Their encounter is one you must experience first hand.