Ken Payne (New Mexico/Arizona, 1938-2012) cold-painted bronze sculpture titled "Where Smoke Talks" depicting a stern-faced Native American warrior grasping a rifle astride a strutting horse as it tramples a cactus underfoot upon a naturalistic base. Dated, signed, and numbered "(copyright) '94 Ken Payne 29/50" to rear corner of base. Mounted on a shaped, tiered wooden swivel stand. Includes a signed and dated certificate of authenticity from the studio of Ken Payne. 27" H x 26" W x 14" D. Weight: 102 lbs. Note: The original Mountain Trails Galleries receipt and additional documentation are available to the winning bidder. Artist biography: Ken Payne was a successful pilot, operating as a crop duster, instructor, and commercial pilot. His initial forays into his artistic career were paintings of landscapes, cowboys, and Native Americans; and he did not explore bronze sculpture until the late 1970s. Payne spent the next four decades producing sculptures depicting the romance of frontier legend. He not only established bronze casting foundries across the Southwest, but Payne also founded Mountain Trails Gallery, Inc.

PROVENANCE: Estate of Robert Christie, Knoxville, Tennessee.

CONDITION: Overall excellent condition.