Andrea Morgan is a self-taught painter and paper mache sculptor living in the Blackfoot River Valley of western Montana. Her various occupations (restoration ecologist, landscaper, vegetable farmer) have kept her hands in the dirt and her head in the clouds for as long as she can recall. Morgan’s art is, in essence, an expression of her wonder and curiosity as she explores the wild lands and wild characters in the quiet spaces of her habitat. Morgan’s painting process starts with dynamic layers of color and marks on wood. She works without a plan, allowing colors and concepts to evolve and shift, adding and subtracting paint, ideas, and subjects until, as she puts it, “I capture the wild thing before it runs away”. Her paintings offer viewers a sense of joy and delight at first glance. A closer look reveals depth, history, a sense of humor, and surprise. Morgan’s series cover both serious and lighthearted topics, including the intersection of native/non-native species on the prairie, fence lines across western landscapes, the somewhat ridiculous aspects of American cowboy culture, and imaginary birds riding imaginary bikes.