Dustin Van Wechel

After leaving an eight-year career in advertising, Dustin Van Wechel pursued a full-time career in fine art, focusing on wildlife painting. Growing up in Arizona, trips with his father to the high country ignited his deep love for nature, the environment, and animals. Van Wechel holds an Associate of Arts in Visual Communications from Collin’s College in Tempe, Arizona. Influenced by wildlife artists such as Carl Rungius, Bob Kuhn, Tucker Smith, and Ken Carlson, Van Wechel developed strong drawing skills, bold brushwork, and a keen sense of design. He finds inspiration in wildlife and landscapes, expressing his personal experiences and perceptions of these subjects. In an interview with Western Art Collector, he shared, “Painting wildlife provides a well of opportunity to communicate not only my personal experiences but also to better understand what moves me as an artist and person.”