Working in the manner of the great 19th century artists, Dan Ostermiller's connection with wildlife and the outdoors continues a legacy in American sculpture. Dan gained an absolute understanding of the anatomy of animals while working with his father, a taxidermist, and this understanding allows him to sculpt freely without thinking about proportions, allowing the essence of what he wants to convey to come through. Dan is less concerned with the physique of his subjects as he is with the moods, personalities, and general shapes of the compostions, and he establishes a fluidity of motion and creates expression by manipulating animals' features. In fact, the titles of his works indicate not the type of animal, but the individual emotions or characters of the figures. The surface patterns and patinas of the pieces complete the effect as they capture light and lead the eye around the curves and musculature of his subjects.