"Becoming an artist was not one of the things I had in mind as I was growing up," says wildlife sculptor Robert Ball. "In fact, the possibility never entered my mind until much later in life. Looking back, however, I can see a connecting thread leading from the past to the present: a love of wildlife and the habitat that provides them sanctuary."

Ball, primarily self-taught, has completed a monument for Tulsa, Oklahoma, and won many awards, including Best of Show for Animal Sculpture at the National Wildlife Art Show in Kansas. Living in Lake Tahoe for many years and later moving to Montana allowed him to observe wildlife and gain inspiration from the rugged and beautiful land.