Distinctly Montana Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.distinctlymontana.com/i/1380851
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 U M M E R 2 0 2 1 42 allowing the painting to tell its own story. I tend to use Linseed Oil and/or Neo-Megilp as my medium. After the necessary drying time, my preference for varnish is a gloss GamVar. YOUR WORK OFTEN FEATURES MONTANA HOMESTEADS. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MONTANA HOMESTEADS? The "Homestead" series, which I am currently work- ing on, involves research and conversations with home and landowners in Montana, many revealing intimate memories and experiences on their land. It's those moments that I reflect upon as I design my paintings, many of which are family com- missions to hold those memo- ries for future generations. I'm always open to new challenging custom paintings. As a descendant of 1880's homesteading families, I have always identified very strongly with the land itself. Wide open spaces bring life into my work. My paintings are created to honor those who came before me. After researching the many Homesteads and the Overland and Waterways West, I reflect upon the changes to the land as it appears today, some positive and some not so positive. I am truly intrigued by the stories I hear from descendants of those early settlers. I don't want those hard-working peoples nor their contribution to their families to be forgotten as more and more families are selling their family property, never to set foot on that land again! WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW, AND WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR WORK TAKING YOU OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS? Because I work in large series and of historical nature, my exhibitions are usually through museums. My current work on "Riverways West" has developed into a two- week residency this August with the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monuments. It features an August solo and a September solo at the Fort Benton Interpretive Center. Rivers played a very important part in Montana's history, both before and after steamboats traversed from St. Louis to Fort Benton as well as on the Yellowstone River to the Billings area. My paintings are created to honor those Straw Grasping the Land Whatever Lies Ahead