Our longtime friend and cover art contributor’s website stated, “Wade Butler painted Texas wildlife and landscapes for over 20 years. But his art career did not begin until he was almost 40 years old after 15 years as a fisheries biologist for Texas  Parks and Wildlife Department. He quit his job cold turkey back in 1984 with no prior art training or experience he started a new career.

For, over three decades, Wade Butler made his mark in the sporting and wildlife art world. He was an exhibitor in some of the most prestigious wildlife art shown in the United States including the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston, South Carolina, the Ducks Unlimited Wildlife Show in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Oklahoma Wildlife Show in Tulsa.

Butler produced work in water mixable oils, gouache, graphite pencil and bronze. His work has appeared on covers of Texas Outdoors Journal and Ducks Unlimited Fine Art T-shirts nationally. His work is also seen frequently at Texas — Coastal Conservation Association banquets and fundraisers where his saltwater fishing and sporting scenes are sought by collectors. His original paintings and prints have been used by Ducks Unlimited, Coastal Conservation Association, Quail Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and many charity organizations in fund raising efforts. He was the Texas Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year in 1998-99 and the Sponsor Print Artist in  1995-96, 2005-06 and again in 2010-11.  Butler signed prints have been carried by some of the largest outdoor sporting chain stores in the nation.

In September of 2014, Wade Butler passed away after a hard battle with Pancreatic Cancer. His final wishes were for his wife and two daughters to continue with his business. His family has carried on to show his work at various exhibits throughout the year and at his studio in San Marcos by appointment.

Much like music by favorite musicians that have passed away we continue to enjoy their lyrics and songs.  So do we continue to enjoy the paintings hung on walls as a reminder of similar shared scenes afield or on the water.  This is the case this month as TOJ features a “new painting” by Wade Butler not previously scene.

Butler’s “Chance Encounter” is a perfect image at a time when so many hunters are preparing for the upcoming traditional fall hunting seasons.  It’s a way to remember and celebrate an old friend while looking ahead of new memories made.

For more information on Wade Butler’s “Chance Encounter,” or other fine works of art, visit www.wadebutlerstudios.com. –Bill L. Olson

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