Kyle Ploehn is an artist, illustrator and writer living in Billings Montana. He likes to spend the few hours he isn't painting hiking the mountains of Montana.

This painting reawakened the love affair with acrylic paints and the wilds of Montana for me. Painted as summer turned to fall in 2012, Under the Stillwater was the first real acrylic painting I had attempted since high school. At Northwest College of Art, the painting classes mainly focused on oil. This was a habit and skill I brought back home to my tiny Montana studio, until I just realized I didn't have enough room to let oil paintings dry and keep up with my creative tendencies. So, I broke out the old packs of acrylics I had left over from high school (which were quickly supplemented by higher quality brands) and began to paint! I immediately fell back into the grove of the smooth, paint. Delighting in how quickly I could apply layers upon layers over the amazingly fast drying medium.

Under the Stillwater was a labor of passion, each tiny inch of the canvas carefully manicured with the smallest brushes and glazes. To this day it is one of my favorite works and despite the nearly one-hundred and fifty hours spend upon it, one of my favorite memories of painting

The original is SOLD.

8x10 matted to 11x14 prints are available for $45. Contact me at [email protected], if you're interested in purchasing a print or visit my website http://kyleploehnart.blogspot.com