Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 53 WILDLIFE SEEMS A SPECIAL TOPIC FOR YOU. TELL US WHAT DRAWS YOU TO THIS AS SUBJECT MATTER FOR YOUR WORK. I have lived in Montana close to 50 years and most of my hobbies are centered around the outdoors. One of my many passions is archery hunting, spending most of the fall living with these animals at a very close range. As an archer, you do more watching than hunting, I have been blessed to see some of the most incredible encounters involving wildlife and I continue to try and express my appreciation and awe of these animals through my drawings. YOUR MOTHER, BROTHERS, AND SISTER ARE ARTISTS. HOW DID THAT EARLY EXPOSURE TO ART COME TO INFLUENCE YOUR OWN WORK MANY YEARS LATER? I truly feel that most people have a talent for art…be it hidden or realized…the part not everyone is blessed with is the passion to use it. Very similar to other talents such as skiing, it seems like all kids raised in Bozeman are incredible skiers and most of these kids don't even remember learning; they remember only being good at it. My point being: with a little encour- agement, and a lot of practice, we gain confidence…leading to individual expression. YOUR CAREER AS AN ARTIST CAME TO YOU RELATIVELY LATE IN LIFE. WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG, AND WHY NOW? Ultimately, my experience as an architect fostered my perspective. "I had to get to the point where I could understand art on my own terms. It took me 30 years to realize that art can be whatever I wanted it to be." WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW, AND WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR NEW CAREER IN ART TAKING YOU OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS? I'm currently gearing up for a summer show at my new studio, Studio54. e show will consist of a number of small figurative sketches with a large mosaic figurative drawing Sticks, while at the same time working on a large elk piece for the CMR art show next year. I hope to have these drawings finished once the snow melts before my other hobbies once again call me to the outdoors and away from my drawing table. FOLLOW JERRY AND LOCATI FINE ART ON INSTAGRAM WWW.LOCATIFINEART.COM 406.579.1139 NEED HIGH REZ At a Glance The Boys Work In Progress Evening LIght

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