Growing up on a ranch near Bozeman, Montana, T.D. Kelsey came from a family that loved animals, and this interest is expressed in his sculpture. In October 2004, he was elected to the Cowboy Artists of America, a group of western painters and sculptors who hold an annual exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum. Kelsey is also a member of the National Sculpture Society.

Before pursuing his fine-art career, Kesey was a United Airlines pilot, but quit in 1979 to do full-time sculpting. He also trains and shows cutting horses.

His work is on permanent display at Thomas Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center at Cody, Wyoming.

Several monumental commissions inclu...