Graceful Display- Swan
$185.00
Editorial View
The Gallery's Perspective
There’s an immediate sense of presence in this canvased portrait — the grizzly meets your gaze as it pushes through shallow water, droplets mapping its muzzle and chest with precise, almost tactile clarity. The artist’s realist touch is evident in the tight rendering of wet fur and the way the surface of the water responds: ripples, reflections, and falling beads of water all combine to make the moment feel freshly observed. The bear’s steady, forward posture reads as calm strength rather than aggression; the cool, muted palette of browns and slate blues enhances that composed mood. Small highlights along the wet nose and the translucent strands of dripping water give the piece a luminous quality without becoming flashy. It’s the kind of image that balances wildlife familiarity with a quiet, respectful admiration — a work that brings the dignity and physicality of the animal into a room with effortless presence.
The Artwork
About Cool Runnings
Cool Runnings<br> LIMITED EDITION CANVAS
In prehistoric times bears were revered as gods. To this day, the power and magnificence of the bear stirs our imagination and emotions. Cool Runnings is a captivating portrait of an animal who has inspired both fear and fascination in mankind for millennia. Smith’s realistic style brings every drop of water and each wet hair on the grizzly’s face into sharp focus, making it clear that the artist has spent years studying these remarkable creatures.
Smith received the Artist of Distinction Award at the second annual Quest for theWest Art Show and Sale at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. He has been invited to participate in the Autry National Center’s prestigious Masters of the American West Fine Art Exhibition and Sale for the fifth year in a row, and Art of the West magazine recently dubbed him one of the “heirs apparents” to Western Wildlife master Robert Kuhn.
Smith received the Artist of Distinction Award at the second annual Quest for theWest Art Show and Sale at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. He has been invited to participate in the Autry National Center’s prestigious Masters of the American West Fine Art Exhibition and Sale for the fifth year in a row, and Art of the West magazine recently dubbed him one of the “heirs apparents” to Western Wildlife master Robert Kuhn.
Collector Details
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About the Collection
Daniel Smith is a renowned wildlife artist, celebrated for his photorealistic animal portraits and breathtaking nature paintings. His work captures the beauty and spirit of North American wildlife, from majestic big cats and powerful bears to intricately detailed bird illustrations. With a deep commitment to fine art conservation, Smith’s wilderness landscapes and lifelike animal studies bring viewers closer to nature. His collectible fine art prints and original paintings are highly sought after by wildlife enthusiasts and art collectors who appreciate exceptional realism and environmental storytelling.
Artist Signature
Signed by the artist
This piece is artist signed and includes a Certificate of Authenticity.
Image Rights
Image copyright © 2026 by Daniel Smith.
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Authenticity & Documentation
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Painter Daniel Smith, who is equal parts hermit, aesthete, and explorer of the outback, has never thought of himself as being a visual provocateur.
Who could have thought that classical wildlife art would one day be considered simultaneously accessible and avant-garde? Who would have guessed that images of animals would loom large as perhaps the most potent icons of our time?
Animals are telltale totems, not only of the past, but of a yet uncertain future. The opening of the one-man exhibition, "Animal Magnetism: The Wildlife Art of Daniel Smith" at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in 2008 was validation of Smith's growing stature in this unique and provocative artistic genre. "In my opinion, Dan Smith is truly one of America's great wildlife painters," says John Geraghty, board member of the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles and a prominent art collector.
Over the last decade, Smith's original pieces have been exhibited at, or become part of permanent collections at the Eiteljorg, the Autry, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum, the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, The Bennington Center for the Arts, The Wildlife Experience, The Leanin Tree Museum of Western Art and the Ella Sharp Museum of Art and History.
Today, Smith and his wife, Liz, the parents of three
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