Richard Loffler grew up on the wide-open Saskatchewan prairies in central Canada . He became a committed outdoorsman as a teenager absorbing the wonders of the natural world around him. Two local zoos became a retreat for observing animals in close quarters, while the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina , where he began working in 1978, was a haven to study the beautifully prepared natural history dioramas. I have been given natures theatre to access freely. I find it a necessary tool in the formation of the idea and the finished work. Working from life affords me controlled confidence. No questions go unanswered. At 51, Loffler is a dedicated family man and an avid outdoorsman. He juggles his time between his fieldwork, his studio work and the Montana foundry where he chases his own metals and oversees the patinas and completed works. Loffler was accepted into membership with the Society of Animal Artists and the National Sculpture Society in 1989. He continues to show with the Prix de West Invitational Exhibition, where he was chosen for the Robert Lougheed award in 2002. Loffler was invited to exhibit at the 2002 Rendezvous Showcase at the Thomas Gilcrease Museum of Art in Tulsa , Oklahoma . The invitational Salmagundi Club Exhibition, New York , New York . Also he has been invited to exhibit at the Thomas Gilcrease Museums 25th anniversary exhibition in the spring of 2004. Art is an expression of our innermost thoughts, perceptions and aspirations. It is an extension of society, the happening of our era and the progress of our time. When balanced with truth, knowledge and sensitivity, art holds the virtuous vision of the past, an account of the present and a dream for tomorrow.