Always Looking Down

From agates and petrified wood (my absolute faves) to jasper, quartz, and many types of invertebrate fossils, I’ve spent decades wandering the banks of the Yellowstone River and up and down the hills and mountains of Montana and Wyoming, always with my eyes to the ground. A friend’s teenage son once asked, incredulously, “Are you actually looking for rocks right now?” I laughed and said, “Um, do you see rocks on the ground right now? Then the answer is yes.”

From Pockets to Purpose

Eventually, I had rocks in every coat pocket, drawer, glove box, nook, cranny and corner of the yard. My husband gave me an ultimatum: You do something with all of these rocks or don’t bring any more home! I just knew that I couldn’t be the only crazy rock collector out there, so I started researching what others were doing with their earthy treasures.

That was the beginning of a new journey…learning to cut, shape, polish, wire-wrap, and create pieces of art and jewelry from the rocks I had collected. I’m still learning, still cutting, still shaping, still having a blast (and most importantly, I’m still collecting).

Always Looking Ahead

It’s the same thing with my photography. I’m always scanning the landscape; always watching for a fox playing in the mist, a sudden burst of color in the trees, or at the way the sun lights a mountain peak at dawn. Seeking out the beauty in nature is as much a part of me as breathing is. I just can’t help it and I try to always have my camera with me at the ready. Thankfully we are in the digital age now. It’s so much easier and convenient than film was (yes, I’m that old). That means that I had as many photos just sitting around in my computer hard drive as I did rocks laying around.

Enter, Majestic West Gallery

Majestic West Gallery grew out of a desire to share the stories I see and feel in my heart and soul every day, in the land that I love and are as much a part of me as I am a part of it. Every stone, fossil, every photo, every handmade piece carry a moment, a memory, and a bit of West’s wild spirit.

Thank you for being part of the journey. I will be thrilled to send a part of the story home with you.