Just wanted everyone to know that she will be missed more than words can say. She was an extraordinary young woman.

On the “lazy” thing. Indeed it is about being lazy for me. My Hallmark illustration friends and I used to talk about that. After several pieces where we pushed ourselves very hard, we would take a “break” and do something that was within our comfort zone…hense the word “lazy”. That lazy piece or two would rejuvinate us (like taking a creative “vacation”) so we were better able to take the leap of faith on the next several “risky” pieces. When you are cranking out work, often between one and four full color illustrations per week, you have to find coping mechanisms to keep youself moving forward and producing. We didn’t have the luxury of the “do I WANT to paint today” thing.

Unfortunately, I have taken that habbit into my wildlife art as well. And sometimes I am a bit “lazy” when preparing for a booth show. I know that I’ve got to crank it out fast, and so I often stay in my comfort zone just so I know that I will succeed. I’ve made a commitment to myself this year to chuck that whole idea and push myself harder on every piece. That seems like a noble goal…we’ll have to see how it goes…

Sandra - I hadn’t thought about the ‘trip buzz’ before…good note.

As for the explosion: a block of downtown Bozeman blew up last Friday, very unexpectedly - an old section, where the gas pipes had been laid down 100 years ago or something like that, no emergency shutoffs, etc (it appears to have been a natural gas blowup). Four businesses were completely destroyed, including Montana Trails Gallery; the director, Tara, is missing and is assumed killed in the blast (she was in the gallery at the time). Several Charlie Russell paintings were vaporized, along with many works by other current artists. It’s the biggest explosion in Montana history - very bizarre.

I think most artists get caught in the analytical quagmire sometimes. Back in my Hallmark illustration days we had the added pressure of knowing that virtually everything we designed and painted was going to be published. The cost for Hallmark to publish one illustration was many, many thousands of dollars. It was a bit like painting in a pressure cooker! But after many years of painting with the burner under you turned up on high, you actually get used to it!

For me, I have found a way to keep my mind in the right place. I think it is important to remember why you paint in the first place. If you paint for a reason (to express your love for something, or to give yourself a voice or point of view on an issue) than you will be more able to keep the “passion” alive in your work. I believe that passion is the difference between a good work and a great one.

For me personally, my work turns out best when it is well planned with sketches and a color feel pre-established. I tend to get lazy sometimes, maybe because I’ve been a painting machine for so long. When I’m lazy, my layouts are uninteresting and my ideas are weak. It is when I most push myself that my best works come. So I guess for each of us we motivate by different things. It is important to recognize those things and learn how to tap into them

P.S. What explosion??!!?