My home inspired this piece.  I grew up in the Flathead and spent countless chapters of my life driving around Flathead Lake to venture to someplace or another.  The summers around Flathead are gorgeous.  Sometimes, when taking my dogs for walks on one of the bays, I feel like I’m at the most peaceful ocean cove.  It doesn’t always feel like you’re in Montana when you’re by the lake.  I love the numerous cherry orchards that line the hillsides all around Flathead Lake.  It’s a spot known for its cherries because of the unique microclimate around the lake, providing an ideal growing environment for these juicy morsels of sweetness.  Not only do humans love the dark, sugary cherries, but so do countless birds.  I painted the Chickadee and Cedar Waxwing because they love sweet cherry juice.  I also love the Chickadee’s song, which sounds like they are singing “Cheeseburger,” but in this piece, they are singing “Cher…ries.” I included a beautiful Honey Bee because, without the bees, there would be no cherries.  They are the primary pollinators of cherry trees.  It is magical when the hillsides burst with blooms of delicate pink and white cherry blossoms in May.  These porcelain-like flowers last for about a week and then gently fall like snow and cover the ground, making room for dark, rich, sweet cherries to ripen.  Cherries have a natural heart-shaped essence, like the Flathead, which feels near and dear to my spirit.