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Editorial View
The Gallery's Perspective
You can feel the force before you notice every detail — two enormous elephants shown mid-struggle, their tusks locked and legs planted like living pillars. The painting’s close crop and low viewpoint make the animals feel immediately present and monumental; dust kicked up around their feet softens the lower edges so the movement reads as both violent and inevitable. Joshua Spies renders skin and muscle with patient, tactile attention: the network of wrinkles, the torn shadows beneath the ears, and the subtle highlights along the tusks give each animal a distinct, powerful personality without losing the drama of the encounter. A cool, pale sky contrasts with the warmer, earth-toned dust, which lifts the figures forward and keeps the scene charged rather than static. For anyone drawn to wildlife subject matter, this canvas combines raw energy with careful observation — a tense, cinematic moment that lingers like a memory of a landscape ruled by creatures larger than ourselves.
The Artwork
About Raging Bulls
Raging Bulls<br> MASTERWORK CANVAS EDITION
I like to paint for the story, says artist Joshua Spies. With Raging Bulls, you can feel the power and the passion of these enormous animals. It's an intense scene. The locked tusks and tree-trunk legs of the massive bull elephants have raised a cloud of dust that adds to the drama of the battle.
Joshua Spies graduated from South Dakota State University in 1996 with a degree in Fine Arts. His list of awards and recognitions is extensive, including the 2007 Dallas Safari Club Artist of the Year award and the appearance of his paintings in two major motion pictures. His travels take him across the globe in search of subjects great and small.
The best thing about doing what I do, he says, is raising awareness. I like to show people something they might not see otherwise, to get them thinking about the larger world. My hope is that when they see these magnificent animals, the variety of wildlife out there, that they'll be more interested in preserving their habitats.
Joshua Spies graduated from South Dakota State University in 1996 with a degree in Fine Arts. His list of awards and recognitions is extensive, including the 2007 Dallas Safari Club Artist of the Year award and the appearance of his paintings in two major motion pictures. His travels take him across the globe in search of subjects great and small.
The best thing about doing what I do, he says, is raising awareness. I like to show people something they might not see otherwise, to get them thinking about the larger world. My hope is that when they see these magnificent animals, the variety of wildlife out there, that they'll be more interested in preserving their habitats.
Collector Details
What to Know About This Piece
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About the Collection
Joshua Spies' contemporary realism captures surreal landscapes and hyper-realistic figures that evoke a profound emotional depth. His paintings blur the lines between reality and dreamlike imagery, where light and shadow play an essential role in creating atmospheric art that transports the viewer to otherworldly realms. Spies' figurative realism emphasizes the subtle details of human emotion and the environment, using vivid color palettes to enhance the narrative within each piece. His work invites viewers to explore the complexity of human nature and the surreal beauty of the natural world, combining dramatic realism with modern surrealism to create visual storytelling that is both haunting and captivating. Through his illusionary art, Spies pushes the boundaries of what is possible in both realism and abstraction.
Artist Signature
Signed by the artist
This piece is artist signed and includes a Certificate of Authenticity.
Image Rights
Image copyright © 2026 by Joshua Spies.
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Authenticity & Documentation
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This young artist has had the example, encouragement, and help of some of America's best and most well known wildlife artists.... Terry Redlin, Terry Isaac, and Paco Young, among so many others have watched and encouraged Spies' career.
He is a Life member of Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Pheasants Forever, a Heritage Sponsor of Ducks Unlimited, and a member of the Safari Club International, National Turkey Federation, and the NRA.
Spies is one of six artists throughout the country selected for the 2003 Ducks Unlimited National Art Package, and was also a finalist in the 2003 DU International Artist of the Year competition. His art was selected for the 2002 and 2003 Pheasants Forever National Art packages, and his painting "Annual Descent" was awarded People's Choice Winner in 2002 at the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep National Convention. Spies was also a finalist in two Federal Duck Stamp Competitions and recently placed first place in the 2003 SD Duck Stamp Competition. His painting, "Last Glance - Dall Sheep," received the People's Choice Award and the Artist of the Year Award at the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep National Convention in 2004 and his original, "Turkey Ridge," was selected for the 2005/2006 Ducks Unlimited National Art Package.
Additional accomplishments over the past year include having his artwork selected to be in the MGM movie "A Guy Thing", and having his artwork sold nationwide in Dillard's department stores with their Hemingway furniture collection. "Twentieth Century Fox" is using three paintings in their upcoming movie titled "Electra" starring Jennifer Garner. Spies was interviewed by People magazine, featured in US Art and Wildlife Art Magazine, as well as featured in "People to Watch in Year 2001 and Beyond" in the Sioux Falls, SD Argus Leader.
Spies' other notable achievements include receiving first place in the "International Artists Management" art competition in St. Petersburg, FL, as well as being a finalist in the International Art Competition of N.Y. miniatures and the South Carolina Waterfowl stamp competition. He excels in photography as well, and has competed and attended Kodak/National Geographic Hot Shots in Washington, D.C. and National Geographic Magazine's Workshop and Competition in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He was recognized for top photograph for the latter and was published by National Geographic.
Spies is a resident of Watertown, South Dakota.
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