This piece was inspired by my love of Montana and my time spent at Bitterroot Lake as a child.  My grandmother had a little cabin on the lake that we would visit in the summer.  As I was thinking about Bitterroot Lake and all the memories, I thought about painting an image that would honor my heritage and beautiful home state.  I included state symbols to show gratitude for Montana.  The painting consists of the Grizzly Bear, Western Meadowlark, Mourning Cloak Butterflies, Cutthroat Trout, Bitterroot Flowers, Sapphires, Bluebunch Wheatgrass, Ponderosa Pine, and Huckleberries.  The magical sapphire shores bring me back to my childhood when everything seemed magical and larger than life.