Veryl Goodnight

Veryl Goodnight and her husband, Roger Brooks, relocated to Southwestern Colorado during the fall of 2006. They purchased mountain acreage just west of Durango, overlooking Mesa Verde National Park. Here the dramatic landscape—which varies from mountain peaks to red rock canyons—abundant wildlife, and ranching community provide endless inspiration for both sculpture and painting.

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The essence of Goodnight’s work is a result of working from life. Her new studio is at the end of the barn. It includes a “model run” to the west and an overhead door between the studio and the barn aisle. “It is the subtle differences between individuals, whether human or animals, that excites me. Since my career began in the early 1970s, I have had the opportunity to learn from many of the greatest artists today, but it is the animals themselves that have perhaps taught me the most.”

Goodnight’s work has been profiled in many books, including Leading the West (Northland Press, 1997) and An Encyclopedia of Women Artists of the American West (University of Texas Press, 1998). She has also been featured in all major American art magazines and exhibits in such prestigious shows as the Masters of the American West Fine Art Exhibition and Sale, Los Angeles; the Cheyenne Governor’s Invitational, Cheyenne, Wyoming; and the Northwest Rendezvous, Helena, Montana. Goodnight was the featured artist in the December 2009 issue of Western Art Collector.

She is a Fellow of the National Sculpture Society, a Master of Artists of America, and maintains membership in the Society of Animal Artists and the Northwest Rendezvous Group.

Veryl Goodnight is represented by Goodnight Trail Gallery, Mancos, Colorado; Trailside Galleries, Jackson, Wyoming, and Scottsdale, Arizona; and Whistle Pik Galleries, Fredericksburg, Texas.