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M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls - The Booth Museum & Buffalo Bill Center of the West - Viewing Room - Silas Von Morisse Viewing Room

There is a sacredness when one experiences a waterfall for the first time. Roaring and powerful, yet serene and calming, waterfalls are one of nature’s most magical creations. Their beauty often takes your breath away, creating a feeling of pure awe.

 

"Feeling the energy of falling water is a unique experience.  To capture that feeling in a painting is impossible... but the energy coming from viewing the painting is the next best thing."      - M. C. Poulsen

 

 

M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls - The Booth Museum & Buffalo Bill Center of the West - Viewing Room - Silas Von Morisse Viewing Room

M.C. POULSEN, Trident Falls, 2021, oil on canvas, 60h x 36w in. (152.40h x 91.44w cm); Framed size:  68h x 44 1/4w x 4d in. (172.72h x 112.39w x 10.16d cm) - MCP006

 

"Trident Falls is in thorofare country. The falls are located on to two miles above the mouth of Cliff Creek. There are multiple drops that sit deep within on of the two notches of 'The Trident,' a nearly 11,000 foot, three-pronged mountain of the Absaroka Range that encompasses a large percentage of the Park's southeast corner." - M. C. Poulsen

Part of a vast ecosystem of infinite poetic beauty, mostly hidden from the public, the waterfalls of Yellowstone National Park have captured for decades the imagination of artists and visitors alike.  

 

M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls - The Booth Museum & Buffalo Bill Center of the West - Viewing Room - Silas Von Morisse Viewing Room

M.C. POULSEN, Lost Falls, 2017, Oil on gessoed board, Framed size: 59.5 x 32 in (151.13 x 81.28 cm).; Canvas size: 50 x 22 in. (127 x 55.88 cm) - MCP007

Re-known Award Winning Western Artist M.C. Poulsen was introduced in 2012 to “The Guide to Yellowstone Waterfalls and their Discovery”.  Until then, most of the waterfalls in Yellowstone remained hidden and undiscovered.  Yellowstone’s waterfalls had been painted in the late 1800s, most notably by Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran, who first captured the magnificence of a few falls creating the mystique that draws the public today to Yellowstone but, no one had painted the major falls nor the undiscovered ones!  

Poulsen was mesmerized: he wanted to be the first one to capture on oil and canvas the major and undiscovered falls. So he embarked on a ten year journey, hiking and horse riding deep into the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park. 

 

 

M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls - The Booth Museum & Buffalo Bill Center of the West - Viewing Room - Silas Von Morisse Viewing Room

M.C. POULSEN, Enchantress Falls, 2017, Oil on canvas, 50h x 28w in. (127h x 71.12w cm), Framed size: 60h x 36w x 3d in. (152.40h x 91.44w x 7.62d cm) - MCP004

 

"Rough terrain, strewn with house-size boulders, trees, and bushes turns into a tangled, webbed wall. Downed trees slow down any attempt to navigate to a slow crawl. progress is well earned when you get to the prize! This fall is one of my favorites." - M. C. Poulsen

By painting the most spectacular Waterfalls of Yellowstone, Poulsen’s hope was to capture and reveal the insights of these cosmic beauties and share with his fellow humans the emotions he experienced. His  paintings depict not only the beauty of the falls but incorporate Native American history and spiritual themes including wildlife and the settlement history of the area. 

 

"Nothing in Nature stays the same. It is ever changing and ever evolving, simply capturing a moment in time."  - Mike Poulsen

M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls - The Booth Museum & Buffalo Bill Center of the West - Viewing Room - Silas Von Morisse Viewing Room

M.C. POULSEN, Swans at Fairy Falls I, 2021, oil on canvas, 60h x 50w in. (152.40h x 127w cm) MCP005  Framed size: 72.50h x 52.50w in. (184.15h x 133.35w cm)

 

"Swans at Fairy Falls" was painted at one of my most favorite waterfalls. This area is often home to swans.  I wanted to capture their whiteness, elegant movements and serene energy against the richness of the deep cobalt blue and veridian colors. " - M. C. Poulsen

M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls - The Booth Museum & Buffalo Bill Center of the West - Viewing Room - Silas Von Morisse Viewing Room

M. C. Poulsen, Yellowstone Lake, 2016, Oil on canvas, 59.50h x 39.25w in.  (151.13h x 99.69w cm) Framed size: 70.75h x 50w in. (179.71h x 127w cm)

M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls - The Booth Museum & Buffalo Bill Center of the West - Viewing Room - Silas Von Morisse Viewing Room

Poulsen’s paintings are a revelation, windows into a untouched, yet mysterious vanishing world, magnificently rendered by his artistic talent and touch …

 

M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls - The Booth Museum & Buffalo Bill Center of the West - Viewing Room - Silas Von Morisse Viewing Room

“I wanted to tell the Yellowstone story in my own way” says Poulsen in his interview with Carrie Scozzaro,  The Joy of Discovery,  Big Sky Journal 2020.

 

M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls - The Booth Museum & Buffalo Bill Center of the West - Viewing Room - Silas Von Morisse Viewing Room

M.C. POULSEN (b. 1952, Akron, Ohio)

Poulsen was born in Akron, Ohio in 1952. He moved to Cody, Wyoming at age thirteen with his parents to work the 15,000-acre cattle ranch purchased by his father.  After serving in the Marine Corps, he studied art at Arizona State University in Tempe, then dropped out to study with his neighbor and artist James Bama, who featured Western landscapes and scenes.

Early in his painting career, Poulsen did landscapes, still lifes, and figurative scenes, but then became so enthralled by Western paintings he saw by Charles Russell that from then on he focused on Western works. Poulsen exhibited a one-man show at the Capitol Rotunda in July of 1992 in Washington, D.C. and was the first Western artist to exhibit in Russia as a cultural exchange. 

Poulsen also has done commissions for private, state and federal organizations, including the Pentagon and The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He participates annually in shows and exhibitions across the country, including those held by the Autry National Center in Los Angeles; the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming; the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana; the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis.

His work is featured in galleries in New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah, California and Arizona. He and his wife live in Cody on property next to his then family dude ranch he worked as a teenager.

It brings me great joy to create something that might touch the soul of another.”  - M.C. Poulsen

M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls - The Booth Museum & Buffalo Bill Center of the West - Viewing Room - Silas Von Morisse Viewing Room

M. C. "Mike" Poulsen in his studio in Cody Wyoming

M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls - The Booth Museum & Buffalo Bill Center of the West - Viewing Room - Silas Von Morisse Viewing Room

M. C. POULSEN installation view from The Booth Museum Exhibition, October 21, 2021 - February 27, 2022

Slide-Show

Slide-Show Thumbnails
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Trident Falls, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 36w in
152.40h x 91.44w cm

Framed: 68h x 44.25w x 4d in
172.72h x 112.40w x 10.16d cm

MCP006

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Trident Falls, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 36w in
152.40h x 91.44w cm

Framed: 68h x 44.25w x 4d in
172.72h x 112.40w x 10.16d cm

MCP006

Inquire
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Swans at Fairy Falls I, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 50w in
152.40h x 127w cm

Framed: 72.50h x 52.50w in
184.15h x 133.35w cm

MCP005
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Swans at Fairy Falls I, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 50w in
152.40h x 127w cm

Framed: 72.50h x 52.50w in
184.15h x 133.35w cm

MCP005

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Swans at Fairy Falls I, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 50w in
152.40h x 127w cm

Framed: 72.50h x 52.50w in
184.15h x 133.35w cm

MCP005

Inquire
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Enchantress Falls, 2017

Oil on canvas

50h x 28w in
127h x 71.12w cm

Framed: 60h x 36w x 3d in
152.40h x 91.44w x 7.62d cm

MCP004

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Enchantress Falls, 2017

Oil on canvas

50h x 28w in
127h x 71.12w cm

Framed: 60h x 36w x 3d in
152.40h x 91.44w x 7.62d cm

MCP004

Inquire
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Yellowstone Lake, 2016

Oil on canvas

Framed size: 70.75 x 50 in. (179.71 x 127 cm); Canvas size: 59.5 x 39.25 in. (151.13 x 99.69 cm)

MCP001
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Yellowstone Lake, 2016

Oil on canvas

Framed size: 70.75 x 50 in. (179.71 x 127 cm); Canvas size: 59.5 x 39.25 in. (151.13 x 99.69 cm)

MCP001

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Yellowstone Lake, 2016

Oil on canvas

Framed size: 70.75 x 50 in. (179.71 x 127 cm); Canvas size: 59.5 x 39.25 in. (151.13 x 99.69 cm)

MCP001

Inquire
M.C. POULSEN
                    (1953)
            
    
        Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)    
    “Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered  Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen        
                            MCP010
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M.C. POULSEN
                    (1953)
            
    
        Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)    
    “Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered  Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen        
                            MCP010

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)

“Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen

MCP010

Inquire
M.C. POULSEN
                    (1953)
            
    
        Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)    
    “Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered  Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen        
                            MCP009
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M.C. POULSEN
                    (1953)
            
    
        Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)    
    “Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered  Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen        
                            MCP009

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)

“Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen

MCP009

Inquire
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Trident Falls, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 36w in
152.40h x 91.44w cm

Framed: 68h x 44.25w x 4d in
172.72h x 112.40w x 10.16d cm

MCP006

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Trident Falls, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 36w in
152.40h x 91.44w cm

Framed: 68h x 44.25w x 4d in
172.72h x 112.40w x 10.16d cm

MCP006

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Swans at Fairy Falls I, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 50w in
152.40h x 127w cm

Framed: 72.50h x 52.50w in
184.15h x 133.35w cm

MCP005

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Swans at Fairy Falls I, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 50w in
152.40h x 127w cm

Framed: 72.50h x 52.50w in
184.15h x 133.35w cm

MCP005

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Enchantress Falls, 2017

Oil on canvas

50h x 28w in
127h x 71.12w cm

Framed: 60h x 36w x 3d in
152.40h x 91.44w x 7.62d cm

MCP004

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Enchantress Falls, 2017

Oil on canvas

50h x 28w in
127h x 71.12w cm

Framed: 60h x 36w x 3d in
152.40h x 91.44w x 7.62d cm

MCP004

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Yellowstone Lake, 2016

Oil on canvas

Framed size: 70.75 x 50 in. (179.71 x 127 cm); Canvas size: 59.5 x 39.25 in. (151.13 x 99.69 cm)

MCP001

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Yellowstone Lake, 2016

Oil on canvas

Framed size: 70.75 x 50 in. (179.71 x 127 cm); Canvas size: 59.5 x 39.25 in. (151.13 x 99.69 cm)

MCP001

M.C. POULSEN
                    (1953)
            
    
        Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)    
    “Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered  Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen        
                            MCP010

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)

“Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen

MCP010

M.C. POULSEN
                    (1953)
            
    
        Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)    
    “Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered  Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen        
                            MCP009

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)

“Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen

MCP009

Thumb-Show

Thumb-Show Thumbnails
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Trident Falls, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 36w in
152.40h x 91.44w cm

Framed: 68h x 44.25w x 4d in
172.72h x 112.40w x 10.16d cm

MCP006
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Trident Falls, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 36w in
152.40h x 91.44w cm

Framed: 68h x 44.25w x 4d in
172.72h x 112.40w x 10.16d cm

MCP006

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Trident Falls, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 36w in
152.40h x 91.44w cm

Framed: 68h x 44.25w x 4d in
172.72h x 112.40w x 10.16d cm

MCP006

Inquire
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Swans at Fairy Falls I, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 50w in
152.40h x 127w cm

Framed: 72.50h x 52.50w in
184.15h x 133.35w cm

MCP005
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Swans at Fairy Falls I, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 50w in
152.40h x 127w cm

Framed: 72.50h x 52.50w in
184.15h x 133.35w cm

MCP005

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Swans at Fairy Falls I, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 50w in
152.40h x 127w cm

Framed: 72.50h x 52.50w in
184.15h x 133.35w cm

MCP005

Inquire
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Enchantress Falls, 2017

Oil on canvas

50h x 28w in
127h x 71.12w cm

Framed: 60h x 36w x 3d in
152.40h x 91.44w x 7.62d cm

MCP004
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Enchantress Falls, 2017

Oil on canvas

50h x 28w in
127h x 71.12w cm

Framed: 60h x 36w x 3d in
152.40h x 91.44w x 7.62d cm

MCP004

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Enchantress Falls, 2017

Oil on canvas

50h x 28w in
127h x 71.12w cm

Framed: 60h x 36w x 3d in
152.40h x 91.44w x 7.62d cm

MCP004

Inquire
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Yellowstone Lake, 2016

Oil on canvas

Framed: Framed size: 70.75 x 50 in. (179.71 x 127 cm); Canvas size: 59.5 x 39.25 in. (151.13 x 99.69 cm)

MCP001
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Yellowstone Lake, 2016

Oil on canvas

Framed: Framed size: 70.75 x 50 in. (179.71 x 127 cm); Canvas size: 59.5 x 39.25 in. (151.13 x 99.69 cm)

MCP001

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Yellowstone Lake, 2016

Oil on canvas

Framed: Framed size: 70.75 x 50 in. (179.71 x 127 cm); Canvas size: 59.5 x 39.25 in. (151.13 x 99.69 cm)

MCP001

Inquire
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)

“Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen

MCP009
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)

“Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen

MCP009

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)

“Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen

MCP009

Inquire
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)

“Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen

MCP010
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)

“Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen

MCP010

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)

“Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen

MCP010

Inquire
M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Trident Falls, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 36w in
152.40h x 91.44w cm

Framed: 68h x 44.25w x 4d in
172.72h x 112.40w x 10.16d cm

MCP006

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Trident Falls, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 36w in
152.40h x 91.44w cm

Framed: 68h x 44.25w x 4d in
172.72h x 112.40w x 10.16d cm

MCP006

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Swans at Fairy Falls I, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 50w in
152.40h x 127w cm

Framed: 72.50h x 52.50w in
184.15h x 133.35w cm

MCP005

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Swans at Fairy Falls I, 2021

oil on canvas

60h x 50w in
152.40h x 127w cm

Framed: 72.50h x 52.50w in
184.15h x 133.35w cm

MCP005

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Enchantress Falls, 2017

Oil on canvas

50h x 28w in
127h x 71.12w cm

Framed: 60h x 36w x 3d in
152.40h x 91.44w x 7.62d cm

MCP004

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Enchantress Falls, 2017

Oil on canvas

50h x 28w in
127h x 71.12w cm

Framed: 60h x 36w x 3d in
152.40h x 91.44w x 7.62d cm

MCP004

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Yellowstone Lake, 2016

Oil on canvas

Framed: Framed size: 70.75 x 50 in. (179.71 x 127 cm); Canvas size: 59.5 x 39.25 in. (151.13 x 99.69 cm)

MCP001

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Yellowstone Lake, 2016

Oil on canvas

Framed: Framed size: 70.75 x 50 in. (179.71 x 127 cm); Canvas size: 59.5 x 39.25 in. (151.13 x 99.69 cm)

MCP001

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)

“Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen

MCP009

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)

“Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen

MCP009

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)

“Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen

MCP010

M.C. POULSEN (1953)

Along the Border Trail (number out of 500)

“Along The Border Trail” , Limited Edition of 500, signed and numbered Leather bound with case, includes an original oil painting by M. C. Poulsen

MCP010

Video-Show

Wyoming PBS SPECIALS

Premiered 26 June 2017

Painting the Falls of Yellowstone

Special | 56m46s

 

Poulsen has partnered with Yellowstone Forever, PBS, Mike Stevens, and multiple museums to create, educate, and inspire: bringing this timeless legacy to public view. 

 

Painting the Falls of Yellowstone

 

In this documentary, Wyoming PBS follows Cody-based and internationally reknowed artist M. C Poulsen on his journey through the Park as he captures some of the most magnificent waterfalls on canvas.

 

The waterfalls of Yellowstone National Park have long captured the imagination of visitors and artists alike. Artists Thomas Moran and Albert Bierstadt first captured the magnificence and mystique of a few falls in the 1870s which helped establish the park. Over the last several decades, over 250 named and unnamed waterfalls and cascades have been discovered in accessible and backcountry areas of the Park. Their discovery prompted Cody-based and internationally renowned artist M.C. "Mike" Poulsen to try and capture these waterfalls on canvas. His work depicts not only the beauty of the falls but incorporates Native American history and spiritual themes, wildlife and the settlement history of the area. 

 

© 2017 Wyoming PBS and M.C. Poulsen

 

M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls
M. C. Poulsen: Yellowstone Waterfalls