Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 52 THE CREATIVE IDEAS FOR YOUR ART INCLUDE ICONIC WESTERN SCENES AND THEMES, BUT WHAT IS YOUR REFERENCE POINT FOR THESE IMAGININGS, AND HOW DO YOU EXECUTE SUCH REALISTIC PORTRAYALS? I believe my biggest blessing from God is my imagination. It just never seems to let me down. I feel very fortunate for the people who have influenced me over my lifetime and grateful that I can always fall back on my old school ways. Another part of my gift is the support team I have around me — my wife helps with the research of paintings and office responsibilities; my partner in Bitterroot Frames, Zach Cheetham, helps in the design and manufacturing of my picture frames;, he also manages the shop so I need not worry about crating and ship- ping of paintings. I know things will be well taken care of and this gives me great comfort and eases my time to create. My paintings are historical in content not to document an event or location but to create emotion and feeling by being a "storyteller". My father also left me an extensive library to which I have added. is enables me and my team to authenticate the wardrobe of Indian tribes and how the rustic cowboy lived. WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS FOR YOU AND YOUR WORK? Currently I don't have a difficult part of the creative process, but for a lot of art- ists I would say it would be preparation. Getting ready for an art show can some- times be a little overwhelming. e logistics of framing and shipping, painting supplies, the brushes, the canvas and all the tools needed, the list is quite extensive. ere again I am grateful for the support team I have around me. With "Bitterroot Frames" and "Bitterroot Publishing," we now offer what is known as an "Origi- nal Personalized Giclée." In this concept, I take one of my giclée street scenes and personalize it with the customers' names of their businesses and family members. Recently we did one of these for the Out West Art Show and Young Masters in Great Falls. I was able to take the names and logos of the sponsors and embellish them into one of my giclées, New Beginnings. Such giclées can be given as corporate gifts or as affordable art for individuals who have found my originals to be out of reach. I have enjoyed the process of painting these original personalized giclée's because I get the chance to hand-letter signs and logos. It brings back fond memories of where it all started. About giclée. Pronounced gee-klay, it is a French term meaning to spray. The "giclée" process uses archival inks that resist fading and is usually printed on canvas. The result very accurately represents the colors and details of the original painting. TO REACH GARY LYNN ROBERTS, WRITE: PO Box 1300 Hamilton, MT 59840 150 Sheafman Creek Road Victor, MT 59875 Crisp Morning Home for the Holidays

• Cover