Lance Hoyt DuBois, a fifth generation Montanan was raised on his grandfather Earl DuBois’ ranch in the Judith River Breaks near Winifred, Montana. Life was simple in a small cabin with no running water or indoor plumbing. He moved around Montana many times as his father, Hoyt, took on ranch foreman jobs.
Graduating from Stanford High School in 1970, Lance went on to college in Bozeman. There he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Fine Arts Painting & Drawing and pursued Creative Writing at Montana State University. He married Billy, the prettiest girl on campus, thanks to his poetic abilities that roped her heart.
Lance worked his way up to Metal Shop Supervisor for Northwest Art Casting Foundry, where he was employed for twenty plus years. He welded and chased bronze, fashioning ropes and reins for artists like Harvey Rattey, Jay Contway, Terry Murphy, Dave Lemon, Brad Williams, and Jeff Wolf, to name a few. He worked on two-and-a-half times life-size bronzes and learned the skills to become an accomplished sculptor.
After retiring in 2014, Lance was able to pursue his art and also become well known for his “Western wisdom” and how he colorfully depicts the legends, humor and romance of the Great American West through his cowboy poetry.
Over the years, he has put his artistic talents to work as an accomplished sculptor, painter, illustrator, knife maker, and leather worker. He attends several shows with his art throughout Montana under his business Running Wolf Fine Art. He recently created the custom leather holsters for the virtual reality component at the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame gallery, at the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls.
Lance has created artworks for novels, films and organizations and donates to many fundraisers. Several articles have been written about him and his art. One featured piece named him the “Man of Many Hats,” describing Lance as a true renaissance man of the West.
He and Billy reside on the outskirts of Great Falls where they enjoy the beautiful scenery on the Sun River. They enjoy participating in The Great Western Show during Western Art Week in Great Falls. For more on Lance check him out at runningwolffineart.com.