Hope of the Grizzlies is a piece inspired by college and my children.  When I lived in Missoula, Montana, while earning my undergraduate degree, I had a three-year-old daughter and an infant son.  Life was intense.  I felt numb to the world as I was coping and getting by.  I remember when I first started feeling myself again after becoming a mom while hiking the M trail one day.  I felt free and able to breathe.  This became my sanctuary and a return to myself in many ways.  I'm a Griz fan at heart and have always loved the culture of Missoula.  I named this piece Hope of the Grizzlies instead of Home of the Grizzlies because this painting made me feel Hope as I added to it and reflected on my younger self.  The world is ever-changing and evolving, like we all are.  The numb scary parts of my life have blossomed into some of my greatest blessings.  Along with the Grizzlies, I painted Huckleberries, Dandelions, Clover, Army Cutworm Moth, and Cutthroat Trout because Grizzlies have a diverse, colorful diet.  I also painted Forget-Me-Nots, Shooting Stars, Arrowleaf Balsamroot, Paintbrush, and Bitterroot flowers because they are native to Griz country and brighten our hillsides. So, blow a hundred hopes of dandelion seeds, count your blessings when you find a four-leaf clover, and always look up and wish on the shooting stars, for you never know when you may need a little more hope in this life.