Hi Louisa,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

Askart notes that cowboy and sculptor whose highly detailed cowboy sculpture reflect his own life, D Michael Thomas (b. 1954) has a studio and barn together on his Wyoming property overlooking the town of Buffalo. He models his bronzes after real people but works primarily from memory and not from photos.

He was born in Big Piney, Wyoming, to a five-generation Western family that includes the famous mountain man, Joe Meek. His father was a game warden and taught him about animals including the raising and riding of horses and the life of a cowboy. In his family, art was encouraged by his mother who was an accomplished easel painter. She introduced her son to the work of Charles Russell. A second grade teacher reinforced him by displaying his paintings in the school hallways.

But Thomas didn't really get serious about art until he attended the University of Wyoming majoring in Animal Science. One of his friends was sculpting in bronze, gave him some clay, and he was very taken with it, quickly losing himself in the creative process.

He earned the degree in Animal Science, worked for the Production Credit Association, and later managed a feed and ranching supply store. He was also selling his sculpture on the side, and in 1993, made the full commitment to this endeavor as a profession. Soon after he was winning awards at the George Phippen Show.

He is also a musician and performs on trail rides by playing the guitar and singing. He is on the Board of Directors of the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum in Buffalo and is part of the volunteer fire department.

I've been able to find just one other example of "They Called Him Jackson Sundown" having sold at auction: at the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale in Cody, WY, in September 2011, when it sold for $10,500 against a low estimate of $13,000. That version has an identical surface as yours and they just call it "bronze" without any qualifiers, though it likely has a matte patina similar to the one yours has.

Given the strength of the Western art market - not to mention the comparative rarity of this casting - I think an estimate of $12,000-18,000 would not be out of line. If you're interested in selling this, you might reach out to Western art specialists Scottsdale Art Auction, Coeur d'Alene or Heritage Auctions.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

D. Michael Thomas (American, b 1954)
"They Called Him Jackson Sundown"
2011
bronze
edition #3/25
31 by 16 by 14 inches
CONDITION: this appears to be in good condition.
PROVENANCE: purchased in a gallery, thence by inheritance
$ 12,000-18,000*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia