Doug Monson - Western Charcoal Artist

Best Western Charcoal Artist - Doug Monson

Doug Monson is a western charcoal artist that lives in Afton, Wyoming in the Star Valley. While his his entire life has been dedicated to art, it wasn’t until recently that full time success became a reality. Nowadays you can find his beautiful charcoal drawings of cowboys and wildlife hanging in his own Western Skies Gallery, Jackson Hole’s oldest fine art gallery - Wilcox Gallery , and in the homes of fine art collectors all over the world .

Its wild to look back and see how certain parts of your life come together. I make it a point to do as much backcountry snowboarding in Jackson Hole, WY as possible. The terrain and snow quality is just top notch. This past winter we were up there during a particularly cold storm which got down to -30 for 3 days in a row. The excitement overtook me, as it often does, and I forgot to treat my diesel pickup truck with the proper chemicals that would keep it from freezing. So, it froze. Literally. To the point that it was towed to the dealership in order to thaw out in their heated garage. Aside from costing a lot of money to fix, it also kept me in Jackson for longer than expected. My friends went out riding while I dealt with the truck, leaving a large portion of the day open. So I walked around town to all of the famous galleries like Wilcox Gallery, Horizon Fine Art, Gallery Wild, Heather James Fine Art, Altamira Fine Art, and Brookover Gallery, to name just a few. Jackson Hole has a LOT of fine art that can keep just about anyone happy for days at a time. I’d been meaning to tour the galleries anway, in hopes of finding a place to sell some of the work from my photography series on Cowboys. So having that day was an unwanted blessing in disguise. And the inspiration you can get from seeing so much great work can be addicting for any kind of artist.

By the time my truck was ready I was in a rush, which caused me to take the quick way home instead of taking several days sniffing around for photographs. The “quick” route took me through Afton where I stumbled upon Western Skies Gallery. Still having the gallery bug I went in and was greeted by Doug Monson, who I soon learned was a charcoal artist and the gallery owner. Upstairs above the gallery is his working studio. I was in awe of the space and asked if it would be ok to make some photographs while he was working. Doug obliged and we would up spending an hour or two just hanging out talking while he drew and I made photographs. I had no idea what would happen with the images, but was inspired by the space and his work. A few weeks later it occured to me that it would be fun to write an article on Monson, and here we are 10 months later with a feature in Western Art Collector Magazine!

Western charcoal artist Doug Monson at work on a drawing in his Afton, Wyoming studio.

Doug Monson drawing a cowboy with charcoal at his studio in Afton, Wyoming

The beautiful fine art of western charcoal artist Doug Monson

Duck Decoy Carver - Zach Benson

Famous Duck Decoy Carver

The world of waterfowl hunting is a niche that gets ever smaller when you start looking at world class duck decoy carvers. Like any fine art, the elites are in narrow company. Zach Benson is in that group. He began carving in college out of not being able to afford a decoy spread to hunt over. Years later he is known the world over for his one of a kind works of art. The process starts by harvesting cedar trees from his own property. That wood is then milled and laid to dry in his barn. After about a year it’s ready to use, at which point he hand carves each bird, then lays layer upon layer of oil paint.

WHAT MAKES A WORLD CLASS DUCK DECOY?

Early on Benson competed in shows like the Clayton Decoy Show and the Oregon Waterfowl festival. Both of which were great learning experiences, but he quickly learned that they came with too many rules. Art of any kind is subjective, but awards weren’t necesarily given to the best decoy, rather to the one that followed the rules. It did leave any room for creativity. The “winners” were birds that checked every box. So competing didn’t last long for Benson. He wanted to create art, not cookie cutter ducks. Now, the look he is so famously known for is an angry duck in an uncommon position. His ducks have attitude. They are one of a kind. So you’ll still see him year after year at the Clayton Decoy Show in Ohio, but not on the competition floor. Like a lot of other carvers, he shows newwork out of his hotel room - where people are encouraged to walk around room to room with a beer in hand. Aside from that, you have to follow Zach on Instagram, where he is very low key, sharing new work in his stories. And if you wait to long on purchasing his latest piece, it will already be gone.

Check out the article below which was published in the most recent issue of Wildfowl Magazine. You can also learn more about him from the VIDEO we made a short while back with Benelli.

Famous duck decoy carver Zach Benson

Western Art

Western Charcoal Artist - Doug Monson

Was on a big gallery kick last month up in Wyoming, and while driving back home from Jackson Hole, stumbled upon the Western Skies Gallery in Afton. It’s a beautiful space in an unexpected place. Inside I was greeted by Doug Monson, owner of the gallery and artist himself. He specializes in western charcoal drawings, but also displays/sells work by other talented artists in various mediums. We got to chatting for a bit while he showed me his upstairs studio, which is as enviable a place as you’ll ever see. Truly a dream for any artist. Next thing you know, I got the gear out of the truck, and began making photographs of Doug at work. He makes beautiful drawings of wildlife as well as cowboys. Look up the one he did of a Raven. It’s stunning to see in person. Anyway, Monson is really nice guy that I very much enjoyed hanging out with while learning about his journey to where he is today. For years now I’ve got a lot of pleasure out of photographing people that are highly passionate about their work, no matter what kind of work that may be. There’s something very special about seeing someone in their element, working away in a manner only they know how, because you know there isn’t anywhere else they’d rather be.

Click here to see more of my Western photography

Benelli - Carved in the Chapel

Duck Hunting Documentary - Benelli

Waterfowl Culture - Photography

It’s a real honor to end 2021/begin 2022 with the introduction of this project that’s been a long time coming. Story telling is something I’ve become very passionate about but it becomes even more fun when you are able to tell the story of someone that’s just as passionate about what they do. And then the cherry on top comes when that person and all the people you’re working with are your friends. I’m very grateful for everything about this project and to be able to tell Zach Benson’s story. He’s a wildly talented guy that’s overflowing with enthusiasm for waterfowl hunting as well as the one of a kind duck decoys that he creates from scratch.

This was one of the first times that I chose to step away from the camera for the most part. Instead taking on the producer role and had a lot of fun with working with a team to create something we are all proud of. All of the beautiful visuals you see were shot by Jordan Valente. We really had a blast making this thing. Loved every second of it. The early mornings. Late nights. Days standing nipple deep in 50 degree water. Laughs. Good food. Whisky. Laughs. All of it.

Please enjoy this 14 minute documentary and feel free to share it with anyone you know that might appreciate Zach’s story. And you can follow along with him on Instagram @benson_decoys or on his website www.zach-benson.com

You can also view more of Jordan Valente’s work at www.amilewest.com Another part of the team was Stephen Werk who did a lot of the editing along with Jordan. He’s got a beautiful documentary of his own out called Sons of Mezcal.

Benelli - Carved in the Chapel

Gun Dog Magazine

Duck Hunting Photography

Zach Benson - Duck Decoy Carver

Seems like personal projects are a constant topic here, but it doesn’t matter because it’s something I’m very passionate about and want people to hear. For photographers, there is nothing more valuable than the personal project. Nothing. I love shooting for certain commercial clients, but put just as much if not more time into personal projects. What you see here is a piece I’m honored to post because it involves time spent with people I care about. I’ve known Zach Benson since elementary school where we were close friends. He’s an extremely skilled hunter and an even better artist. Nick Yetto is my cousin, but also happens to be a brilliant writer. The three of us grew up in the same town and went to the same schools. Then life, as it tends to do, sent us all in different directions. Fast forward to last year around this time, I was fortunate to spend 4 amazing days with Zach documenting his hunts, the creation of his beautiful decoys, ate lots of good food, had lots of laughs, and drank plenty of booze. Then I teamed up with Nick to write a piece that would tell Zach’s story along with my images. To be clear, my intention first and foremost, was to hang out with Zach while also having fun with the camera. Being in these situations I find it impossible not to document what’s happening. I also appreciate his lifestyle and enormous talent as an artist. A person that others with shared interests should know about. And I feel a responsibility as a photographer to help others learn about him.

Back to the personal project. It’s important as photographers that we don’t feel as though we need permission to do what we love. We don’t need to sit around waiting or begging for a dream client to hire us. That’s nonsense. Photographers should go out on their own and create exactly what it is they feel drawn to. Worry about everything else later. Just go out and have fun with the camera. Then, if it turns out the way it’s supposed to, the work will find a home. But you can’t worry about the home in the beginning. Just shoot for yourself and you’ll find that the images will turn out better. I’m really honored toothat the good times had with Zach and Nick wound up in Gun Dog Magazine because his story will be read by those that appreciate him the most. It also feels good to do these things with people I care about in our own way and on our own terms. Nobody hired me to do this or told me how to do it. This collaboration is something that continues between Nick and I. Something I’m also grateful for because it brings me closer to my cousin, who I’ve been apart from for so long. We currently have another piece (unrelated to duck hunting) due to come out at the beginning of 2021, and he also wrote the intro for my soon to be released Hoops book.

You can follow Zach on Instagram @benson_decoys

Click here to check out Nick Yetto’s novel Sommelier of Deformity

A duck hunter and his dog in a canoe at sunset in upstate New York.

A duck hunter pulls his dog and canoe through deep marshland.

A dog jumping from a hunting blind.

A duck hunter sitting in a marsh takes aim at his target.

The inside of a hunting blind is illuminated in the early morning on a marsh in upstate New York.

A duck hunter and his dog sitting in their canoe in an upstate New York marsh.

Decoy artist Zach Benson in his workshop creating a custom wood decoy.