Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w. d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a . c o m 31 your Work oftEn tEEtErS bEtWEEn thE WhIMSICal anD SublIME. IS thIS a ConSCIouS EffECt you arE tryIng to ProDuCE? Yes. I love to portray the ideal or impossible with regard to wildlife and western myth but some of the images have serious messages about saving species or caring for what we have. As a kid, I liked to daydream that I could go live in the wilderness and tame the wolves and ride on a moose or a bear instead of a horse. I render those innocent dreams sometimes. I did ride horses, explored on foot, skied, and climbed mountains, fished, and rode bicycles along rivers and over passes. As a teen, I bucked bales, drove tractors, herded cows, and later worked for the forest service in seasonal jobs, surveying roads, and thinning timber. Then, becoming a mountaineer, I continued to be out in nature. I still love to be out, to hike and ski and ride or even garden. WIlDlIfE, ESPECIally Montana CrIttErS, SEEM to bE your MaJor MotIf? Why IS that? Growing up in Montana , I believe that the ani- mals and birds we have here are truly amazing and important. I don't think people value other species enough. Humans are very egocentric, thus the state of our beleaguered planet. One aspect of my work is that there is a bird or animal in every piece. There are a few with people and they are usually on a horse. onE Cannot VISIt your artWork WIthout Won- DErIng hoW thE DEath of your huSbanD (alPInISt alEx loWE) haS InforMED your Work. What Can you tEll uS about that? I lost Alex in 1999. I don't know that his death really changed the evolution of my work but perhaps there is more emotion present than there once was. The imagery has become more detailed than it was 20 years ago. I sometimes portray cowgirls doing daring tricks or women in the wilds with animals around them. These images have a feeling that I think empowers women. It evokes the carefree and confident feeling that I had racing my horse across a field at the age of 15 or standing on top of a mountain at 25 or facing life as a widow. hoW Do you hoPE your artWork IMPaCtS thE VIEWEr? My hope is that my work will bring some joy to people or make them smile but I also want them to think about what is important in the image. There is so much sadness, despair, and loss in the world I want to portray something that is beautiful, fun, or happy. Imagine Montana The Artful Joy of Jennifer Lowe-Anker Jenni and Miss Chippy enjoy a spring day in Montana. Fox and Bagels

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