This painting is of one of my favorite views along the trail up to Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park in Montana.

Above is a photo I took of the view is looking down toward Lower Grinnell Lake, and the surrounding, layered mountains that seemed to go on to infinity. This is one of my favorite hikes in the park which I’ve been lucky enough to visit a few times but always daydream of going back to.

When I saw this particular view, I felt like I arrived at my destination, even though it was a lookout from a trail which surpassed my expectations. Above is a photo of my partner Kyle and I at the end point of the hike with Grinell Glacier behind us.

Kyle had the most magnificent beard back then. I feel like if you flip our photo upside down, the outline of the beard would match the surrounding outline of the beautiful landscape behind us – maybe sometimes I see too many patterns around me lol

In Glacier National Park, you can look in most directions and think to yourself ‘This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been and seen’. When I saw the particular vista that I painted here , that’s what I thought. Everything else faded away and I felt like I just won the jack pot. If I wouldn’t have gone another step
forward, that would have been just fine with me. This is one of those views that pulls you and won’t let go.

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