February/March 2010 Pheasants & snow photo by Becky Hart
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Vol 26 No 3
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It’s the journey, not the destination that counts for artists Janet and Jerry McGahan By Gail Jokerst, Photo by B. James Jokerst Some people know good advice when they hear it, and Jerry McGahan happens to be one of those people. He and his wife, Janet, live on 30 riparian acres along the Jocko River in Arlee thanks to his ability to recognize sound advice when offered. In Jerry’s case, the pearls of wisdom came via John Craighead, one of Jerry’s University
of Montana professors when Jerry was a graduate student in wildlife biology. “He told me to look for a place to buy because riverside land was going to get more popular for recreation and was about to go sky high here as it did in Wyoming,” recalls Jerry. “And he told me to do it right then. He suggested finding cheap agricultural land along a river bottom and I did. I thought it made a lot of sense so I borrowed the money.” Forty years later, Jerry marvels at the insight his mentor had and is more grateful than ever that he followed his advice. This lush acreage has turned out to be far more than just a lovely place to have a home and raise a family. For decades, it enabled Jerry to earn a living as a beekeeper and nature writer. After his marriage to Janet, the couple grew much of their food here. In addition, they raised chickens and Roller Pigeons for the sheer beauty of watching them swoop, wheel, and roll in
mid-air. Today, the McGahans’ land also provides non-stop inspiration for the artwork Jerry and Janet create. “I love being surrounded by all the views here. I can walk out the back door to birds, wildlife, trees, and gardens,” says Janet. “That makes painting easy because you have beautiful backdrops everywhere. It’s hard for me to walk outside and not grab my camera to photograph something I see around the chicken coop or while I’m hanging clothes on the line.” Since one of Janet’s passions is rehabilitating injured birds, she often has subjects on hand to paint from life. These include her beloved pigeons as well as songbirds and raptors. Having prolonged proximity to the bird she is currently nursing back to health gives her added insight into the bird’s character and beauty, both of which she colorfully conveys through her paintings. Although Janet began sketching and doing portraits in the 1970s, she didn’t get serious about pursuing a career in oils, pastels, and watercolors until 1992. “I was frustrated by the inconsistencies in my work and by not knowing how to correct them,” she recollects. “When Jerry offered to pay for me to take private art lessons from Tu Baixiong, who was then teaching art (Continued on page 29)