Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 1 30 Custer's officers. In the painting, he is wearing a medal around his neck commemorating the 100th anniversa- ry of the infamous Battle of the Little Big Horn. The carvings in the stone represent both Red Bird's personal life and the lives of notable Chey- enne people. If you look closely, you can see a herd of horses, a buffalo hunt, and a sun ceremony. I signed the painting with my own handprint, silhouette-blown with charcoal dust! EVEN YOUR STILL-LIFE PAINTINGS SEEM TO RESONATE WITH EMOTION. HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO INFUSE INANIMATE OBJECTS WITH FEELING? Every painting is, in some way, an emotional experience for me. Creating an illusion of depth and mystery in a still life draws the viewer in and helps them experience a painting by appealing to their emotion. Even though these paintings are called "still life," true life is never still. When I set up a model with flowers, leaves, and pottery, it will take on a life of its own and will move impercepti- bly as light changes and flowers wilt. I try to create a still life painting that invokes a mood of nostalgia and long- ing and draws the viewer inside. Hydrangeas in Summer and Anna's Toby Mug are two of those paintings that I feel strongly appeal to emotion and nostalgia. IN ADDITION TO YOUR MORE TRADITIONAL WORK, YOU CREATE ANIMAL PORTRAITS. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT ANIMAL POR- TRAITURE? WHAT'S THE MOST INTERESTING ANIMAL YOU'VE EVER PAINTED? For me, it's all about the eyes, whether I am creating a human or an animal portrait. The eyes are truly the win- dow to the soul in every living creature. The most interesting animal paint- ing I've done is my portrait of a wild turkey. We have had the joy of hav- ing a large flock of turkeys regularly visiting our yard. They are at once comical and majestic, and to see a line of them "turkey trotting" rapidly through our yard is just simply delightful! When I painted Tommy I was fascinated by the light glowing through his wattle (or dewlap), the flap of skin under the beak. The wart-like bumps cov- ering his head reminded me of the texture of a dinosaur's skin! YOU ENJOYED AN INTENSIVE FOUR-YEAR STUDY WITH SOME BIG NAMES IN THE ART WORLD. WHICH OF THESE ARTISTS HAS HAD THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON YOUR WORK AND CAREER? My first art instructor was Susan Blackwood. Susan has been a major influence in both my life and my art career and remains one of my dearest friends. In pursuing my initial study of portraiture, I sought out well-known artists whose work I loved and desired to emulate. One of my first instructors was Quang Ho, with whom I studied at a workshop in Monterey, California. He is one of the most intellectual and articulate teachers I've ever had, and I filled a book with quotes from him. WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW, AND WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR ART TAKING YOU OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS? I am very excited to announce an upcoming show at Old Main Gallery in Bozeman in July, 2021! This exhibition will be in conjunction with our local Audubon Society and will focus on our relationship with bird life and be an appeal to all of us to help preserve and protect our natural bird life and habitat. Two of my favorite paintings Romance at Sea Tommy

• Cover