Kyle Ploehn is an artist, illustrator and writer living in Billings Montana. He likes to spend the few hours he isn't painting hiking the mountains of Montana.

The Dusk Buffalo was the first departure in the beginning of 2013 from doing my more standard realistic animal paintings and instead fell back on my background as an illustrator and surrealist painter. Like the buffalo paintings I had done earlier, "The Coming Storm" and "Fading" I was still mostly exploring the tragedy of the buffalo. Dusk Buffalo took me a on a journey into the twilight hours of a great animal, a history of pain and bloodshed, but maybe with the light of hope shinning over the horizon still.

The motivation behind the painting was born of personal and professional hardship, I was frustrated and stalling as an artist and seeking for a way above my despair. Painting has always been a emotional release, and this painting was an attack on canvas as I approached my own cage walls like those of the buffalo's destruction. Both seemingly shrinking slowly in until nothing was left. A long cold winter slipped into a soft winter wonderland with this painting as all my troubles were painted back into perspective.

The original is still available, an 18x18, framed for $500.

14x14 canvas prints are available for $150. 12x12 prints available for $45. Contact me at [email protected], if you're interested in purchasing a print or visit me at http://kyleploehnart.blogspot.com.