Tandy Miles Riddle | River Trip

yellowstone river: emigrant

oil on canvas

48 x 36 inches

2023

Tandy Miles Riddle

river trip

The Danforth Museum of Art (DMA) is honored to present “River Trip” by award winning plein air artist, Tandy Miles Riddle. The exhibition will run throughout the month of February 2024, during which time Riddle will be the DMA Artist-in-Residence, painting on site and accessible to engage with visitors.

The work in this exhibition is the result of a culmination of recent events and a lifetime of hard work and perseverance. Riddle’s most recent inspiration for this show was work made while co-leading a watercolor plein air painting trip down the Yellowstone River. These works encapsulate the wildness and freedom of movement while traveling down and camping along the river. The magic of the water reflects the sky and the sky the water, creating worlds upon worlds, surrounded by a cornucopia of nature. Throughout the past several decades, Riddle has been pushing the boundaries of form and scale within the genre of plein air painting, creating a cohesive style and body of work as represented in this show. Motivated by the land, water, and wind that is inescapable in Montana, she hopes her art will reflect the essence of this place, reminding people of its power, beauty, and integrity.

Riddle was born in Coral Gables, Florida, into a world filled with art as the daughter and niece of practicing artists. She attended The Corcoran School of Art in Washington D.C., then continued her education at Montana State University, taking multidisciplinary art classes as well as pursuing a degree in philosophy and religion. Her perceptive and curious mind, and her ever-present sense of wonder inform her art which is characterized by expressive brushwork, vibrant color, and sensuous line.

A resident of Livingston, Montana, Riddle has exhibited widely and has works in collections throughout the United States. Other work can currently be viewed at Medicine Bird Gallery in downtown Livingston, Montana. “At certain intervals in your life it becomes clear that everything has led to this moment in time and these paintings feel this way,” said Riddle.