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huckleberry lessons
Huckleberry Bouquet
Huckleberry Bouquet reflects the life cycle of the wild huckleberry as a mirror of our own—always changing, always returning. These berries cannot be taken from their home; they remain rooted, growing only where they belong. This piece is a quiet reminder of resilience, belonging, and the beauty within every stage of becoming.
Always the Big
Always the Big is a reflection of my hometown of Whitefish, Montana—a place deeply rooted in my identity, even as it continues to change. Though Big Mountain is now known as Whitefish Mountain Resort, it will always be “the Big” to me.
This piece holds both memory and transformation, with the mountain glowing in warm light and the foreground filled with the wild plants that ground me—huckleberries, Indian paintbrush, and bear grass. These enduring elements of nature remain my constant connection to home, even as everything else evolves. Watching Whitefish change drastically is challenging, but I still love the place, as it will always be home.
This piece holds both memory and transformation, with the mountain glowing in warm light and the foreground filled with the wild plants that ground me—huckleberries, Indian paintbrush, and bear grass. These enduring elements of nature remain my constant connection to home, even as everything else evolves. Watching Whitefish change drastically is challenging, but I still love the place, as it will always be home.
Snow Ghosts and Whitefish Smiles
High above Whitefish, winter reveals a hidden world among the snow ghosts—trees transformed into quiet sentinels of the mountain. Beneath them, unseen wildlife moves with resilience and grace, enduring what many of us resist. From this vantage point, it feels as though they are watching over the town below, holding a quiet, enduring presence within the cold.
Flathead's Heart of Cherries
Flathead Lake is the heart of my home—a place woven through memory, family, and belonging. Surrounded by blooming orchards, birdsong, and the quiet work of bees, this piece reflects the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms and the sweetness that follows. Like the cherries themselves, the Flathead holds a heart-shaped imprint on my spirit.
Bird Woman Goes to the Sun
Bird Woman Goes to the Sun is inspired by my lifelong connection to Glacier National Park and the powerful stillness found along Going-to-the-Sun Road. With Bird Woman Falls at its heart, a raven moves through light, embodying feminine strength, freedom, and resilience. This piece reflects both a deep love for wild places and a quiet longing to experience nature as it was meant to be—untouched, sacred, and whole.
Hope of the Grizzlies
Hope of the Grizzlies reflects a season of transformation—becoming a mother, rebuilding my life, and finding strength I didn’t know I had. Inspired by my time in Missoula and the sanctuary of the “M” trail, the grizzly and her cubs symbolize fierce love, protection, and resilience. This piece is a reminder that even in life’s hardest seasons, hope quietly takes root and carries us forward.
Boiling River and Bison
Inspired by the Boiling River in Yellowstone, this piece reflects a place where extremes meet—hot spring water pouring into a cold river, creating a fleeting moment of perfect balance.
After soaking in the water, we came upon a herd of bison blocking the trail. We had no choice but to wait. That moment became a quiet lesson in patience—an understanding that nature does not move for us.
The bison embody stillness and presence, while the surrounding plants—native only to Yellowstone—root the piece deeply in place. Juniper and sandhill cranes add a sense of resilience and quiet magic.
This painting is about learning to pause, to share space, and to remember that we are part of nature—not separate from it.
After soaking in the water, we came upon a herd of bison blocking the trail. We had no choice but to wait. That moment became a quiet lesson in patience—an understanding that nature does not move for us.
The bison embody stillness and presence, while the surrounding plants—native only to Yellowstone—root the piece deeply in place. Juniper and sandhill cranes add a sense of resilience and quiet magic.
This painting is about learning to pause, to share space, and to remember that we are part of nature—not separate from it.
Great Northern Glow
Inspired by quiet camping evenings in the Flathead Valley, this piece reflects a mountain that seems to glow from within—steady, strong, and alive. Surrounded by huckleberry, bear grass, paintbrush, and larch, it is a meditation on stillness, resilience, and the quiet beauty of simply being.
Honey Kissed Larch
Inspired by the golden transformation of larch trees in autumn, this piece imagines the mountains being gently brushed with light by honey bees. As they move through wildflowers—Goldenrod, Elderberry, Blanket Flower, and Prairie Aster—they leave behind a quiet kind of magic, turning entire hillsides into gold. Eight bees are hidden within the painting—can you find them all?
Bubble-Berry Wish
A playful imagining of huckleberries as floating bubbles—and a reminder that joy doesn’t need to be earned, only allowed.
Huckleberry Heaven
A hidden patch of wild abundance—where berries grow heavy, spill freely, and even what is lost becomes a gift.
Huckleberry Love
This piece reflects my deep connection to the wild huckleberry—a plant that cannot be removed from its roots—and how that truth mirrors my own lineage and sense of belonging.
As a child, I picked huckleberries in coffee cans, staining my hands and learning patience. In this painting, my husband’s hand and mine carry those same stains, symbolizing a love that is not perfect, but deeply intentional.
Like berry picking, marriage requires care, effort, and balance. It’s easy to stumble. It’s easy to spill what you’ve gathered. But with commitment and understanding, you keep filling the bucket together.
As a child, I picked huckleberries in coffee cans, staining my hands and learning patience. In this painting, my husband’s hand and mine carry those same stains, symbolizing a love that is not perfect, but deeply intentional.
Like berry picking, marriage requires care, effort, and balance. It’s easy to stumble. It’s easy to spill what you’ve gathered. But with commitment and understanding, you keep filling the bucket together.
Huckleberry Universe
Huckleberry Universe reflects a quiet realization: that even the smallest things can hold something infinite. While painting, I became absorbed in the tiny details of a single berry until it began to resemble the cosmos—constellations, light, and depth unfolding within it. This piece is a reminder of a lesson the huckleberry has taught me over time: that what we are searching for often already exists within what is right in front of us.
Peace on Earth
Peace on Earth is my response to both fear and hope. In a world that can feel uncertain, this piece is a prayer—a reminder to notice beauty, protect what is sacred, and choose connection over division. Through mourning doves and nostalgic plants from my childhood, I explore peace not as something distant, but as something we can cultivate within ourselves, moment by moment.
Lake McDonald Hootenanny
Lake McDonald Hootenanny celebrates the Northern Lights as they dance across Montana skies, bringing people together in quiet, magical gatherings. Under a moonlit “disco ball,” owls join the celebration while Glacier’s mountains and Lake McDonald reflect the beauty of the night. A reminder that sometimes the sky leads the dance—and we’re lucky enough to witness it.
Reservoir on Fire
Reservoir on Fire captures the electric feeling of being fully connected to a place that feels like home. Inspired by summers spent camping with my husband, this piece reflects the fiery skies of sunset and the inner spark that nature ignites within me. Surrounded by huckleberries, bear grass, and paintbrush, the landscape becomes both a memory and a living energy—one that asks to be honored and protected.
Middle Fork Blooms
Middle Fork Blooms reflects the ever-changing nature of the Middle Fork River and the journey of life itself. Through shifting currents, protective landscapes of huckleberries and wildflowers, and the quiet symbolism of a drifting butterfly, this piece explores trust, transformation, and the balance between calm and chaos.
Stillwater Peace
Stillwater Peace reflects the lesson of belonging—of trusting that we are already where we are meant to be. Like the huckleberries and bear grass that grow wild and rooted in their perfect place, this piece is a reminder that peace is not something we have to search for. It finds us when we slow down, soften, and allow ourselves to simply exist within the moment.
Stillwater Peace Blooms
A continuation of stillness—where quiet reflection turns into clarity and growth.
When we sit long enough, even through discomfort, beauty reveals itself and begins to bloom.
When we sit long enough, even through discomfort, beauty reveals itself and begins to bloom.
Montana’s Bitterroot Bliss
This piece is a deeply personal homage to Montana, weaving together the state’s most iconic natural symbols into a single, immersive composition. Featuring the grizzly bear, western meadowlark, mourning cloak butterflies, cutthroat trout, bitterroot flowers, sapphires, bluebunch wheatgrass, ponderosa pine, and huckleberries, the painting becomes both a visual landscape and an emotional map of home.
The exaggerated scale and layered perspective create a dreamlike, almost suspended world—like looking into a memory held inside a bubble. Elements shift in importance not by size in nature, but by the weight they carry in memory.
Inspired by summers spent at Bitterroot Lake with my grandmother, this piece reflects the magic of childhood—when everything felt larger, brighter, and more alive. Montana’s Bitterroot Bliss is both a celebration of place and a reflection on growth, honoring the land that shaped who I am.
The exaggerated scale and layered perspective create a dreamlike, almost suspended world—like looking into a memory held inside a bubble. Elements shift in importance not by size in nature, but by the weight they carry in memory.
Inspired by summers spent at Bitterroot Lake with my grandmother, this piece reflects the magic of childhood—when everything felt larger, brighter, and more alive. Montana’s Bitterroot Bliss is both a celebration of place and a reflection on growth, honoring the land that shaped who I am.
Painted Ladies at the Jewel
Painted Ladies at the Jewel is inspired by a magical mountain landscape of lakes, wildflowers, and quiet beauty.
Painted Lady butterflies symbolize resilience and transformation, honoring a student whose strength deeply moved me. This piece reflects the power of turning pain into something meaningful—and the magic that follows when we choose to rise.
Painted Lady butterflies symbolize resilience and transformation, honoring a student whose strength deeply moved me. This piece reflects the power of turning pain into something meaningful—and the magic that follows when we choose to rise.
Sampson’s Song
This piece honors a small spring-fed lake where I grew up, filled with generations of family memories and the many phases of my life. The loons, double rainbow, and huckleberries symbolize love, connection, and the cycles of life. This place remains a sacred space in my heart—one that holds both my roots and my story.
A Mother’s Love
This piece captures the abundance and beauty of my mom’s garden—a place she has transformed into a welcoming sanctuary filled with birds, flowers, and love. Hummingbirds, heart rocks, and blooming native flowers reflect her spirit: creative, resilient, and deeply nurturing.
The Gift
A childhood memory of fishing with my dad—when I reeled in not one, but two fish on a single hook—became a moment of wonder I’ll never forget. This piece weaves that story with the symbols of his life in Montana: resilience, knowledge of the land, and the quiet gifts passed from parent to child.
Pure Huckleberry Pie
Inspired by a lifelong friendship filled with shared history and laughter. This piece reflects the sweetness of growing up together and the joy of still gathering, still sharing, and still choosing each other.
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