The Studio of Joe Bohler

Having been raised on a 1,200-acre working ranch in northwestern Montana, it was not surprising that, as an adult, watercolorist Joseph Bohler would eventually make his home in a place with similar beauty and open spaces. Now living in Monument, Colorado, he and his wife Alaina try to visit his home state every year.

“Every other year, I also head to South Dakota to do a little research,” he says. “There is a working ranch there that has a yearly event known as Artists’ Ride. They bring in all kinds of models–mountain men and Indians from various tribes. They can set up any type of composition you want, and they even have a river that makes for a wonderful landscape background.

“Another friend up there has a ranch that borders on the nearby Indian reservation. Since he is well acquainted with the native people, I was given the opportunity to witness a Sun Dance ceremony, where they hook claws into the chests of men. I was one of only two white men invited to attend.”

Read the full article in the November/December 2022 issue.