kodiak bears

You step up into the airplane and think you’ve stepped back in time. The three strangers in line with you make a valiant effort at small talk, but no words can mask the buzz of excitement and nerves. As you duck your head and climb awkwardly into the aircraft, you’re suddenly aware of how small it really is—there’s room for only four passengers on this plane.

When people think of wildlife painters, they may imagine someone hunched over a canvas in a peaceful forest, quietly capturing the tranquil beauty of nature. While Brent Fluckiger has spent some time painting in the outdoors—and painting over mosquitoes that get stuck in his wet paint—the majority of his 36 years as a painter and taxidermist have been anything but peaceful. Fluckiger’s career has been filled with everything from near-death encounters with Kodiak bears to 1,000-foot cliffs to strong currents off the shore of Alaska, all in the pursuit of art. But his greatest challenge has been to do what he loves while still being able to provide for his family.We caught up with this active artist and were able to ask him a few questions about his life, his love, and the lessons learned from his nearly four decades of experience.