The art work of Kirby Sattler is fueled by an inherent interest in the Indigenous Peoples of the Earth.
His Native American Indian portraits evolve from the history, ceremony, mythology, and spirituality of the Plains Indian. Sattler's ultradetailed interpretations examine the inseparable relationship between the Indian and his natural world, reflecting a culture that had no hard line between the sacred and the mundane.

Sattler has developed his painting into a distinctive style of realism. The methodology involves the painstaking layering of transparent washes over multiple underpaintings. This technique results in canvases that are rich in detail, defined textures and surfaces. With the deliberate precision given to each work, he produces only a few paintings each year.