I had the amazing privilege of viewing thousands of bison near the United States and Canadian border in Montana. It was just my daughter and I in the middle of nowhere. I was overwhelmed as I contemplated the magnificence of what we were experiencing. My mind couldn’t help but wonder about the similarity to what I was seeing to those long ago as thousands of bison roamed in front of me on untouched land. I thought about the Native Americans that hunted and lived on these grounds hundreds of years prior as eagles soared and screeched over our heads. It was sensory overload taking in the smells, sounds, and sights that were before us. It was a spiritual, life changing experience that I will hold dear to me for the rest of my life.

A New Hope is a follow up painting to Symbols of Hope, a winter scene capturing the hope of bison being reunited with their native habitat. This historic event took place in June of 2023 near Babb, MT. Bison now roam freely on the Miistakis (Backbone of the World). Chief Mountain is featured in the distance and is a very sacred place to the Blackfeet Nation. Vision quests were a frequent occurrence on Chief Mountain and still are today.

Unlike Symbols of Hope which takes place in the winter, A New Hope takes place in the late summer with calves, cows, flowers, and new life flourishing. A rebirth started in 2023 and this painting celebrates that historical event.