Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 49 top of Scapegoat. (In Montana, all that's required are witnesses to sign the paperwork you file with your county.) Although our last trip was in 2012, I still have many sketches and photographs I continue to use for subject matter for my paintings. PLEASE WALK US THROUGH YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS, FROM INSPIRATION TO APPROACHING THE BLANK CANVAS TO COMPLETION. I most often start from my photographs, whether going traditional or digital, sometimes using several to create a composition, especial- ly those including wildlife. I like to keep the eye moving around a piece, and my compositions usually revolve in a clockwise direction. Because the light in a scene is very important to me, I pay quite a bit of attention to that, making sure all the elements are in agreement. If the light on the landscape is different from my wildlife reference, I need to make them "match." The digital process allows for layering of all your elements: background, references, and actual painting. A separate, floating reference window is much like using a paper refer- ence to glance at, rather than going back and forth between layers. Colors come from the photographs or are mixed to get the result I want. I also like to use complementary colors, primarily in shadows and dark areas. Starting with the background and large shapes, blocking in wildlife, if included, I gradually add details until arriving at the tightness or looseness I'm looking for. YOU CREATE USING BOTH DIGITAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEDIUM, AND WHY? I haven't done much traditional media lately, but I'm quite sure I'll be picking up one of my watercolor blocks again soon. Your fingers sometimes just enjoy that feel. YOUR PAINTINGS OFTEN FEATURE A WORLD WHERE HUMANS HAVE VAN- ISHED FROM THE EARTH, WITH THE STRUCTURES WE ONCE INHABITED RECLAIMED BY NATURE. TELL US ABOUT THAT. Funnily enough, I started the "After Humans" series in the fall of 2019, before 2020 dropped the hammer on us. I had photos of Lake Hotel in Yellowstone and The Stanley Hotel outside Right now I AM PRIMARILY USING PROCREATE ON AN IPAD PRO WITH APPLE PENCIL AND HAVE BEEN ENJOYING THAT. Jackson Lake Teton Morning Anticipation

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