The Artistic Journey

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I'd like to share the story behind two of my paintings, 'Homecoming of the Buffalo after 150 Years' and 'Roaming Freely At Last Where Ancestors Roamed.' These pieces were created with a deep appreciation for Hunter D'Antuono, who generously allowed me to use his photos as references. Hunter serves as the media director at the Flathead Beacon, a newspaper in the Babb area of Montana. Thank you, Hunter!

The inspiration for these artworks stems from a heartwarming event that took place on June 26, 2023. On that day, the Blackfeet Tribal Nation released a small herd of buffalo, descendants of a wild remnant group saved from slaughter in 1873. The release occurred in the very homeland near Babb, Montana, where the ancestors of this small herd had freely roamed 150 years prior.

The significance of 'Homecoming of the Buffalo after 150 Years" lies in a poignant moment: a calf leaped off the trailer first and sprinted ahead of the others. As she distanced herself from the group, she paused and gazed at the open, wild land ahead. It was as if she contemplated the vast future of her small herd, standing still in deep approval. Perhaps this young calf instinctively felt the weight of responsibility for her herd's future.