Plein Air: Bitterroot Valley, Montana

By: Kristina Lyn Heitkamp

Sep 26, 2015

Summer was holding on strong, and the day was warm and bright. Rex and I had recently moved back to Missoula, Montana and were eager to explore areas unknown. Turning down a random road, we followed the path until the pavement turned to dirt. It felt good to get a little gravel in our travels.

As the dirt road climbed higher and higher, we stopped for a quick look around. This was the place. Rex inched his way towards a cliff edge to find his view and set up for plein air painting, I followed. I’m very lucky to have partnered up with an artist like Rex. He is constantly searching for inspiring vistas. He dares to adventure beyond the beaten path to discover his muse. Most of the time, I’m thrilled for the adventure, but sometimes I will drag my feet a bit, especially if it involves climbing fences, trudging through shoulder-high grasses or felids of cow pies. But with Rex’s gentle encouragement, I’m always grateful for the experience.

During this venture, I worked on a story called The Big Night, a flash fiction about Joe and her transgender twin Charles as they get ready for Senior Prom. I queried the story to Rainbow Rumpus, an online literary magazine for children with LGBT parents. The story was not accepted, but I had a blast writing about Joe and Charlie. Read the story here.