In 2007 our Montana Painters Alliance paint out was in the Highwood Mountains, east of Great Falls. It was cold and rainy, but I still remember the smell of the downed leaves those crisp autumn days. The MPA is a group of Plein Air painters that get together twice a year for paint outs under the Big Sky. We then have gallery or museum shows every so often to show our work as a group. This painting hung in our show, “From Study to Studio” at the C.M. Russell Museum this last summer, 2008. www.mtpaintersalliance.com. I was also recently informed that with the submission of this painting, I am one of the 100 finalists in the 2008 “Paint America Competition” – open to artists from all over the world. This painting will travel around the country with the show for the next year, and will be for sale through www.paintamerica.org. I’m thrilled! “Time of Yellow Leaves” is an oil, 20″ x 24″.

I arrived at Crow Fair one summer just as the opening parade was starting. There was so much color and costume – beautiful! This painting is a compilation of images from that day. I loved this woman’s expression and I hoped to convey what I felt to be her strength and pride. I am enjoying doing these tonal paintings as they seem more “emotional” to me. “Under a Painted Sky” is an oil, 30 x 30, and is for sale through Montana Trails Gallery in Bozeman, MT. tara@montanatrails.com

The subject of this painting is Brown’s Lake where some other Moms and I used to take “our pile of kids” camping. The lake itself reminds me of a Montana moss agate – foggy in the morning, beautifully calm, reflective water, pine trees. This cove of lily pads was across the lake, accessible by kayak – sort of a secret spot. I am now redoing my website and plan to use this painting as a background for the main pages, so I thought I would show it to you here. “Lilypads” is an oil, 20″ x 24″ and is sold.

Our horse Cricket was the subject of this painting. The time was late afternoon and I loved the blue shadow running down his back, and the contrast between the shadow and the late summer yellows of the season. This painting is an oil, 16″ x 20″ and is available through Betsy Swartz Fine Art Consulting in Bozeman, MT. betsy@betsyswartzfineart.com

Our “real Montana winter” continues, and therefore this little painting is wishful thinking at this point in time! The flowers depicted are Crocus, or Prairie Smoke, and are the first native flowers to peek through the mountain snow in the spring along the Divide. Their appearance always causes excitement, as they testify to the fact that winter will not last much longer. This painting is an oil, 12″ x 16″ and is sold.