"Welcome to Montana", a mural carving in full color hung at Kalispell's Glacier Park International airport.

This is a 5' tall, 18' long and 6" thick relief carving framed and encased in Oak. The cameos depict the four icons for which Montana is known. The Grizzly, the Meadowlark, the Bitterroot Flower and the Rocky Mountain Goat. The finished piece weighs in at some 800 pounds with 1/3 of the material chiseled away.

My son, Latigo and I carved this piece in something less than two years, fitting it in between other Studio projects. Every hair and feather, every branch and rock are carved in great detail. The color was painted by our girls, Rosemary and Lyn St.Marie, Elizabeth Howell and Monique Gustafson. The painting of the finished carving required weeks of painstaking brushwork and shading. We're very proud of our girls and their attention to detail.

Our thanks to GPI and Monte Eliason for the opportunity given us to execute this piece of artwork.

This carving is dedicated to the memory of Herb A. Lewis, my Stepfather, who's desire to see this carving finished was unrealized as he sadly passed away some weeks before the carving was finished.