Montana Artworking by Cindy Betka

The Quaking aspen have a smooth, white bark, marked by dark scars where branches naturally self-prune. They can reach 40 to 70+ feet high. The largest aspen tree in the US is 144 feet, in the Kootenai National Forest near Troy, Montana. "Sing for Joy"   9" X 12"  Oil The aspen stands are important deer, elk, moose, hares, porcupines, beavers, and other wildlife habitat. The animals eat aspen leaves, twigs, and bark, especially in the hard winter months. It is great to walk through the groves to see the variety of birds that live among them. Birds like the red-nape sapsuckers peeking at the bark for insects. More species can be seen like the mountain bluebirds, house wrens, warbling vireos, hermit thrushes, and ruffed grouse. Aspens grow along with the ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and lodgepole pine in dense groves ranging from 1 to 20 acres. The quaking aspen is the most widely distributed tree species in North America, from Alask...

In the 1930's and 40's the Great Northern Railroad commission the German painter Winold Reiss to paint portraits of Blackfoot indians. The railroad used these wonderful portraits for an advertising campaign to market their northern line through Glacier Park. Here is a link to the web page devoted to his life and art:  http://winold-reiss.org . He really accurately captured a part of history in these depictions. His style is typical of the era, especially in his graphic design. He completed many murals as well. He was very prolific in his art career. It is worth browsing the web site; I can just touch on it here.