A cowboy and sculptor whose highly detailed cowboy sculpture reflect his own life, D Michael Thomas 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 s...