Kara Tripp is a Bozeman native who grew up going to Yellowstone National Park for family vacations and camping trips. Her art is inspired by the landscapes at the heart of her Montana roots. Several years ago Kara traded in her brushes for a palette knife and hasn’t looked back. She enjoys the unique markings created in thick oil paint as well as the looseness the palette knife lends her work. This technique adds a contemporary twist to her traditional subjects, which include grain elevators, ranch animals and Montana landscapes. Her pieces are recognizable for their expression of light, movement and vitality.
       
The painting featured on this months cover entiteled ““Patience Rewarded” is particularly close to Kara’s heart as it depicts her two children as well as her nieces and nephew.
       
Kara was chosen as the 2014 Sweet Pea poster artist and has received many awards for her work including Best in Show at the Sweet Pea Art show for 2013 and 2014. She has participated in museum exhibitions as well as many solo and group exhibitions over her career. Her work was chosen for a two month solo exhibition at the Bozeman Public Library in 2015. In 2014, her painting “Hotel Baxter” was featured on the cover of Bozeman Magazine’s August edition.
       
Kara can be reached at Tripp Studio in the Emerson Cultural Center in Bozeman, MT or via email: kara.tripp@hotmail.com