Sculptor Tony Hochstetler is a sculptor in realist style of wide ranging subjects such as frogs, reptiles, birds, fish and amphibians. He says it is important for him to observe living things in their natural environment so that his depictions are accurate. In order to achieve this likeness, he has had a live collection in his studio that has included lizards, frogs, tadpoles and a 10-foot boa constricter. He also collects fossils and arrowheads.

Growing up in rural Indiana, he enjoyed collecting beetles, insects and fossils and arrowheads and was influenced by his grandfather, an industrial arts teacher and amateur rock hound, as well as an uncle who was a full-time potter. After high-schoo...