Ryley Enich is a designer, outdoor enthusiast and artist. His work, a reflection of where he feels most happy, largely depicts scenes from mountain hikes, pristine streams or alpine lakes. He is a native Missoulian and Bozeman area transplant, and for years has explored the back-country of Montana and Idaho in search of remote and beautiful landscapes to enjoy with good friends and family. Through his background in architecture, Ryley discovered watercolor as a way to combine the two things he loves: design and the natural world. During architecture school at Montana State University, Ryley was tasked to design spaces through three dimensional observation using watercolor. On countless trips into the wilderness, Ryley found many similarities between these exercises and nature, and began to explore “designing” images and memories from wild places.

Through painting, Ryley can capture the incredible scenes he’s experienced on his adventures, and share them with the people around him. In the summer months you can find Ryley hiking miles of trail with an absurdly heavy pack (watercolor materials included), wading small streams in search of large trout, or sitting near a high alpine lake with his paint brushes… almost always accompanied by a good local beer. In addition to creating original paintings, Ryley creates high quality products such as prints, greeting cards, and stickers, so you can take his art with you on all of your adventures. You can find these products in shops all across the state, helping to support local small businesses. Ryley’s work will also be shown at the upcoming Bozeman Spring MADE fair May 6th-7th at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, as well as at other Montana shows and events throughout the year. When you’re hitting the trails this season, be on the lookout for Ryley quietly painting in the woods— always stop to say hi and enjoy the view.