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Brent Cooke
CANADA
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“In designing and creating sculptures of birds and marine mammals, I try to impart a sense of movement to engage and intrigue.”
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1947, Brent has lived in the Pacific Northwest most of his life, mainly on Vancouver Island over the past fifty years. Having discovered a love for carving at a young age, Brent made wood relief figures and stone carvings, followed by finely detailed wood decoys.
Wing Speed | Bronze
$7,400
14 X 33
The sculpture depicts a Peregrine falcon pulling a hard right turn in pursuit of a barn swallow.
He started carving wooden ducks from pieces of driftwood when he was in high school. After that, he worked exclusively in 3D in one medium or another for more than 60 years. These involved the use of wood, stone, clay, and bronze. For Brent, working in 3D is easier than drawing or painting. In recent years, Brent entered the bronze-casting field.
Split Decision | Bronze
$10,400
36 X 18
The sculpture captures the moment when a Peregrine falcon in a dive is swooping in on a pair of American goldfinches.
After finishing high school, he took lessons from a local carver who taught him advanced wood carving techniques, as well as how to forge his own carving tool. At the same time, Brent learned how to best utilize his camera so that he could capture images of how birds and wildlife move and react in the wild. Brent's use of negative space and ability to capture the essence of movement and interaction of his subjects has been widely complimented by art lovers at galleries and shows.
“I hope my works are engaging beyond the visual so that viewers want to touch them, thus adding a tactile enjoyment to their art appreciation.”
Brent captured the essence of animal behavior and its involvement in its environment with the help of his tools. After completing university, Brent took his marine biology background to the largest museum in British Columbia, and he worked in the Aquatic Zoology Department for thirteen years. Brent spends lots of time photographing nature which is always an inspiration for his sculptures. He always produces his subjects life-size and in natural poses and surroundings.
As the Crow Fries | Bronze
$19,000
45 X 36
This bronze work depicts a scene played out in every city throughout North America every day. 3 crows fighting over the remains of lunch left on a park bench.
This is a Cooper's hawk in an active chase of a Steller's jay. It won first place in the international category in a show in China.
Into the Blue | Bronze
$12,500
14 X 54
While working in the Aquatic Zoology Department, Brent perfected his underwater photography skills and won numerous awards. He became the Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs of the Royal BC Museum. According to Brent, his works must tell a story that can be vividly imagined, allowing viewers to envision the outcome. Over his career, he has received numerous accolades, including first place in the International Artist China National Sculpture Show, Weifang, and the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) 2015 Robert Bateman Award (Canadian Sculptor of the Year), which honors individuals or groups that raise awareness of conservation through art. Additionally, he was awarded a Medal of Excellence for Sculpture and won Best in Show at the Artists for Conservation Festival 2014. Brent has also earned four first-place awards from the Canadian Federation of Artists.
“I hope my works are engaging and are beyond the visual so that viewers want to touch them, thus adding a tactile enjoyment to their art appreciation.”
“It’s important to me that my works tell a story easily envisioned, such as with my birds of prey pieces, which leave to each viewer’s imagination the outcome of the chase and to choose their own victor.”
Brent’s love for nature has never waned. He is a director for Artists for Conservation who use their wildlife art to support charities involved in protecting wildlife around the world. He is also the ‘International Fellow of the Explorers Club of New York.’ When not sculpting, Brent rides his Harley-Davidson around beautiful Vancouver Island and beyond. He was contracted in 2006 by Deeley Harley-Davidson, Canada to design and construct a museum to showcase their large motorcycle collection. Brent is currently the Director of the Deeley Motorcycle Exhibition in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Headin' Home | Bronze
$12,500
24 X 42
This is a red-tailed hawk at the end of a long day of foraging and now is just happy to be "headin' home".
Brent decided to move from working in wood to working in clay in the late nineties. This involved learning the necessary things to cast in bronze. He built a foundry to cast his own first smaller works with a friend. The move to bronze casting was earth-shattering! Brent believes that he can work in an additive medium that allows movement, and most importantly, doesn’t require heavy support to accent that movement. Brent’s clientele is mainly in Canada and the USA, but he has sold in the Middle East, including one piece of “Wing Seed” gifted to the King of Bahrain.
Battle worn | Bronze
$7,600
14 X 40
A large female Great white shark covered in mating scars accumulated over the years.
Brent has been juried into many high-caliber art shows across North America. He showcased his versatility by participating in several art shows, such as the West Fine Art Show in Langley, Artists for Conservation in Vancouver, and the Lan Wan Art Park in Qingdao, China. He also contributed to a temporary exhibition titled “Endangered Wildlife – The Next Migration” at the Robert Bateman Centre in Victoria. Additionally, his involvement in events such as the Artists for Conservation Festival at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and other art festivals, like Artists for Conservation, has provided him with significant exposure.
A Kestrel is flying over a group of cattails when it spots a large dragonfly...a perfect meal.
Reed raider | Bronze
$5,200
24 X 18
“I want my viewers to see the story that I am telling and get it right away. I do that through the use of realism and abstract shapes.”
The Last Stand | Bronze
$15,500
12 X 41
This is a pair of spawning Sockeye salmon arguably British Columbia's most iconic salmon. After a four year life cycle and this mating process both fish die, hence the title.
Brent’s works are represented in the Middle East, China, the United States, and Canada. His works are currently displayed in several art galleries in Canada and the USA. These include the Peninsula Gallery in Sidney, Webster Gallery in Calgary, Lovetts Gallery in Tulsa, Primavera Gallery in Ojai, California, Joseph Gallery in Joseph, and Reinert Fine Art and Sculpture Garden Gallery in South Carolina.
This is a pair of French angelfish depicting the courtship behaviour of swimming in circles prior to mating.
Underwater waltz | Bronze
$9,000
29 X 8
Brent always tries to create a feeling of movement in his works. According to him, the largest challenge in working with clay is that clay can’t support itself without being attached to an armature or some form of support. So, as his pieces grow in size it is a constant problem-solving challenge. Often the pieces he works on are buried inside a forest of pipes and rods much like scaffolding around a new building. He has worked with Valley Bronze of Oregon since 1999. There they cast his works and together they produce these stunning patinas.
Post Master | Bronze
$9,400
29 X 8
This is a Barn owl perched on a fence post surveying the area searching for a vole of field mouse to fill out the dinner menu.
“For me, the trick is to make a heavy bronze metal object look light and moving, so the viewer can immediately understand the story played out in the sculpture.”
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