This week, we’re spending time with Montana Makers, Rachel Pohl and Brianna Moore. These fast friends encourage one another in their art as well as adventure. Both women pour their hearts into working with their hands. When they aren’t busy in the studio, you can find them enjoying the great wilderness that Montana has to offer.
Meet painter Rachel Pohl. Her vibrant landscapes are entirely inspired by her nature filled life in Bozeman. Browse her work here: http://www.rachelpohlart.com.
“My journey as a painter has been incredibly fun and positive for the most part. I value hard work beyond most things, and the patience, skill, and progression involved with my work has been extremely motivating and instructive. I went to college for art, but I ultimately taught myself the technical skills needed for my career long before that. I became enamored with acrylics after my grandfather passed away and I inherited his paints. I was 14. I started oil painting in high school, and took so many print making and some ceramics classes in college. There have been plenty of frustrating moments, including a negative college professor who really despised my work and gave me the only ‘B’ I ever received in college. That experience taught me that there will always be people who don’t appreciate what we do, and to not take it personally. As I have become more competent at painting, a whole world has opened up- I am so excited to improve more and use my work for environmental and social change. The more I create and the more I observe on adventures in the mountains, the deeper my love and obsession for the craft of painting becomes.” -Painter @rachel.pohl
Meet Brianna Moore. She a craftswoman who sells embellished hats, a singer/songwriter, and an outdoor enthusiast. Take a look at her work here: http://www.brimoorecreative.com.
“I’m in constant search of creative expression paired with adventure in the outdoors. The two main jobs I juggle on the daily are my hat business and being a singer/songwriter. The hats I make are hand-embellished, most often of mountain landscapes. These hats are inspired by my passion for being outside and using my body to explore to far and wild places. Most often my exploration is in pursuit of mountain biking, an epic peak summit, or an untouched ski line.” -Maker @brimoorecreative
“Mother nature is our greatest unifier as humans. Our existence is only possible because of her. For this reason, from a young age it’s been inherent within me to respect and protect our earth, while simultaneously indulging in natures gifts as often as possible. The simple pleasures of sunrises, sunsets, expansive views as far as the eye can see, and wild animal sightings are all gifts from nature. Immersed in the natural world is when I’m able to be truly present in the moment, feel grounded, and feel worthy and whole. A day spent in the mountains is what I live for.” -Brianna Moore
“Nature is definitely at the center of all that I do. I grew up in the mountains and that’s where I feel at home. I’d much rather be mountain biking, fishing, or in the back-country for days on end than in a city. Mountains are my sanctuary, where I go to feel simultaneously quiet and exuberant. I also have a healthy respect for nature, as I have lost friends to avalanches and mountaineering/ climbing accidents. But ultimately, these are the playgrounds that make us feel whole and happy, and my paintings are a way for people to bring the mountains home. In the future I want all of my work to have an environmental undertone to it, in order to save wildlife and public lands from being harmed. Because without those places and creatures, my work wouldn’t be the same.” -Rachel Pohl
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help and lean on others for support. I was really unsure of how to even begin the pursuit of starting my own small business and creating a website. I knew I could sew. I was unsure if people would like my hats. I liked them and my friends liked them. If I hadn’t asked for help I wouldn’t have been able to do it. And if it weren’t for encouragement and advice from others I’m not sure if I would have tried.” -Brianna Moore
“I have always loved to both observe and create, and to manifest reverence for special experiences. I was never into TV as a kid, my older brother and I grew up running around the mountains of Montana, we were raised to have creative minds and adventurous hearts. When I was about three or four years old, I started creating vivid imagery of animals and landscapes, where I would fill entire pages with color. Picture a penguin in a field of wildflowers meticulously created by a toddler, they are pretty adorable. I was hooked on the positive responses from both the simple act of making artwork, and the delighted words of encouragement from my parents. I don’t really remember a time when I wasn’t an artist.” -Rachel Pohl
“Painting simply makes me happy. I use vibrant colors that mirror the excitement we feel outdoors, and the concise nature of my style shows the reverence for those places. The fact that I’ll take so much time to create my paintings is indicative of the importance I hold for them. Nothing is better than an exhausting day in the mountains where I become inspired to paint. It’s my way of reliving an experience when I create a painting, and each time I see the painting or a print of it. And I want that to translate to the viewer, for them to feel that infinite and ethereal feeling we all get in the mountains, paddling on a lake, or interacting with wildlife.” -Rachel Pohl
It’s your turn. Get out there and get inspired!
One of the most fascinating places we visited was Zaanse Schans, a functioning saw mill in a windmill. And just in case you were wondering, some of the workers do wear wooden shoes.
“I can be treated differently because of my gender, usually when I first start a new company, and not necessarily treated negatively, just different. I overcome that with mountains of patience.” -Walford
“I believe if you have to tell people how great you are at something, you’re generally not that great at it. I’m not a yeller, especially with a crew I’ve never worked with. I treat everyone with respect and ask for the same in return.” -Walford
“Slope maintenance is a full shift of operating heavy equipment. I spend all night in a snow cat reshaping and grooming out the snow on ski runs. It can be so much fun, but also dangerous. I’m operating usually with only one other person working on the mountain. Snow conditions are extremely variable, from hard packed ice to wet slushy snow to blizzards and feet of super soft powder, they all have their own specific way they need to be worked out. Sliding down a steep run faster than your tracks can move and even avalanches are real dangers every night, so I have to be constantly aware of the working conditions and how I’m using my machine. The sunrise over Lake Tahoe every morning is a wonderful perk of the job.” -Kristen Loftis
Crafted in Carhartt 