Bozeman SPRING Made Fair coming up, May 1 & 2

Hello Friends!

I have been busy preparing for our favorite Spring Festival, the Bozeman Spring Made Fair, curated by HandMADE MT! See at the end of this post for behind the scenes on creating this original soft pastel to advertise the festival...

Browse a thoughtfully curated collection of 195+ talented artisans, featuring everything from affordable functional art to heirloom-quality pieces. Find the perfect gift for Mom or your favorite graduate—or pick up something special for yourself. A special thanks to Mimi Matsuda for the promo illustration! Preview the participating artists on their profile pages, and look for the NEW sticker on all those new to the MADE fairs.

FRIDAY MAY 1

$10 VIP PASS FRIDAY PREVIEW NIGHT 5 PM-8 PM

Ticket proceeds benefit Bozeman Bike Kitchen

SATURDAY MAY 2

$5 EARLY BIRD PASS 9 AM-10 AM

FREE ENTRY 10 AM-4 PM

Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, Bozeman, MT

Please bring a non-perishable food item to help support the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.

Do you want a little head start on your shopping and have a more intimate shopping experience? Beat the crowds and purchase a pass to get a solid head start before everyone else. Passes can be purchased online or at the door and are limited in quantity. Proceeds benefit Bozeman Bike Kitchen. Last year, handMADE Montana raised over $32,000 for local non-profits.

I titled this piece “Are We There Yet?” and describe it as inspired by that familiar feeling of moving forward through a kind of organized chaos—like a classic summer vacation where everything feels a little like a circus, but you keep doing your best to move ahead and reach your destination. All the while, the questions keep flying: Are we there yet?

Each character in the piece carries its own meaning. The moose represents adults, parents, and creative makers—those carrying so much responsibility and continuing to push ahead. The navigator squirrel is the fearless one looking ahead and leading the way. The bubble squirrel is the playful muse, keeping us buoyant and reminding us not to get too serious. The reading squirrel reflects how life is one long lesson in learning every day. The fighting rabbits represent the chaos that finds its way into everyone’s life. Behind the scenes, it can all feel like a circus, but eventually we arrive—and hope to make that grand entrance like a moose walking tall.

I was inspired by Bob Ross, who famously loved squirrels and sometimes painted on television with one perched on his shoulder or tucked into his shirt pocket.

The original artwork was created with soft pastels and pastel pencils on Ampersand Pastelbord https://ampersandart.com/, and I am thrilled to share a few process images alongside the finished piece so artists can see a glimpse of how it all came to life.

And yes—we are almost there.