Montana’s Rivers Series
This project has been SO. MUCH. FUN.
Welcome, welcome to my new series:
The Interconnections, Impact, and Beauty of Montana's Rivers
Learning about rivers while painting them has been beyond incredible. Thank you to all of the experts that continue to help me, and a special thanks to the Montana Arts Council for funding to support this project. The Montana Arts Council is an agency of the Montana state government, I was awarded a ARPA to begin this project.
There are twenty-eight rivers in Montana, I began this project with four paintings focused on the Jefferson, Madison, Gallatin, and Missouri Rivers. The fifth painting displays the interconnected nature of all of these rivers; the Confluence at Headwaters State Park. In addition to the first five completed paintings, I have a painting of the Blackfoot River as well as a High Mountain Spring painting that I have added to this series. Both paintings will help to begin to show the entire course of the rivers in our great state. I plan to continue this project with additional rivers added to the series.
All rivers lead to the sea; “from space, rivers and streams look like veins on the Earth's surface” (PBS). Rivers and streams are interconnected within a system called a watershed. Each watershed is deeply interconnected, as water moves downstream and joins together, carving paths through the land that continually change.
My paintings express the life within these rivers running through Montana’s landscape.
Each vivid landscape painting draws viewers in to feel and celebrate the beauty of our rivers. I have paired these paintings with additional information about each river, accessible through a QR code available in person or on my website. Additionally, I have created a 43-page coloring book with lessons that is now avaliable via Amazon. This coloring book has art instruction as well as information regarding the importance of, and the connected nature of our waterways. Each painting that is a part of this series will have a coloring page paired with it in addition to many other drawings to color. Learn more about the coloring book here.
Through research and interviews with landowners, experts in water quality, fisheries professionals, conservation organizations, and watershed groups, I am certain this project provides comprehensive and insightful information about the issues these rivers face. I intend to educate new audiences and draw attention to the importance, challenges, and changes of these wild and scenic waterways.
Art portrays a community, helps us understand other points of view, shares community values, and facilitates learning and beautification. This series will celebrate our great state and educate the public about watersheds at the same time. The visual arts draw the viewer in with beauty, which is exactly what I plan to do with the project. As the viewer enjoys the magnificence of Montana, they will also learn about the importance of our rivers.
Thank you for being here.
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