"Catching the Scent", #1 of 20 by Tryon, NC artist, (" plus black marble base, original cost $1500.00 in 2007.....Dale Weiler describes himself as a sculptor of stone. He chose this medium because of the “feel of the stone” and the technical challenge of working with probably the most demanding and unforgiving medium of all art forms. The thought of creating movement, power, fluidity and suppleness from a piece of marble, sandstone, limestone, alabaster or steatite constantly drives Dale to take on increasingly more challenging projects. Many of his pieces defy the fact that they are sculpted from stone.Dale began his art career at the age of 45, having honored his father’s wishes for him to pursue a more “financially rewarding” profession than the art world. Given the fact that his father, Milton C. Weiler, was a highly acclaimed and world renowned wildlife watercolorist, the temptation to follow in his father’s footsteps was considerable. Dale avoided that temptation as long as possible, but the love for art and the need to express himself artistically ultimately became too great a force to resist, and he began to sculpt in 1992.Armed with his father’s artistic gift and a long-standing passion for art, he has literally been catapulted into his new life. His work is now being represented by some of the most prestigious fine art galleries and resides in numerous private collections, corporations and museums throughout the U.S. and Europe. His accomplishments have already been documented in several books and numerous periodicals. The vast majority of his current work is concentrated in private and public commissions.Some of the museums which have showcased his work include: Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum (“Birds in Art”) in Wisconsin, American Museum of Fly Fishing in Vermont, Ward Museum in Maryland, Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum in New Jersey, Genesee Country Museum in New York, Mystic Maritime Museum in Connecticut, Cleveland Museum of Natural History in Ohio and the Schiele Museum in North Carolina.Dale sculpture has been featured at the National Sculpture Society in New York; Sculpture in the Park in Loveland, Colorado; the Easton Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland; Great American Artists in Cincinnati, Ohio; the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston, South Carolina; Art of the Animal Kingdom in Bennington, Vermont; and numerous Society of Animal Artists shows throughout the United States and the Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival in Thomasville, Georgia. He is a member of the Society of Animal Artists and the Artists for Conservation Foundation.