Color in Roundup

Story & Photos by Izabel Bowers Koval

Montana has more than its share of color pretty much everywhere you look. The incredible sapphire blue skies, the varying grays of the clouds, the rainbows during rain, the vibrancy of the lightning, the differing greens of the vegetation, the vivid colors of the native flowers...and let us not forget the incredible powerful colors in fire. Traveling amongst many small towns, however, the gray of the abandoned buildings sometimes seems to predominate.

Connie Gunter, who moved to Roundup with her husband in summer of 2019, wants to do something to add more color. She and her husband, Gary, moved here after retirement from their jobs in California, and are ecstatic about, and incredibly in love with, Roundup and "all the wonderful people we have met here. We wish we could have done this 20 years ago." In her time in Roundup, she has already done a community project, making and donating fleece tops for youth of all ages in the schools and preschool.

Connie is also an award winning artist, specializing in original art quilts and paintings. Her most recent adventure, however, is painting barn quilts to display on the sides of buildings, shops, offices, homes, and, of course, barns. One such business displaying her recent original design is placed on the front of Big M Realty offices.

Connie decided to pursue barn quilts when attending a Cross Country Piece Makers meeting, one of Roundup's quilting groups. That is where she fell in love with a Mariner's Compass quilt. She took a picture of the design, came home and modified it to make her first wood barn quilt (see above). From there, she designed several original designs and proceeded to make more of these beautiful wood pieces. Please see photos, above.

Connie can make any size and use whatever colors you choose, and can either design an original for you, or craft one from a picture or idea you have. Barn quilts are made with ¾" plywood, sealed with at least 3 coats of Spar Urethane, for use indoors or outdoors. This type of urethane also protects from sunlight and temperature changes. There is, of course, no guarantee about anything with the hail we have around here!! Connie adds these art pieces usually last about 10 years.

Connie added she'd like to see a barn quilt "trail" in Roundup, as she's seen in other areas and towns. We discussed the grant that White Sulfur pursued to get their "trail" throughout their community. She added such a trail could be added to visitors' interest when coming to Roundup. Connie would like to see more of this décor around this community. To that end, she is looking to do an informal barn quilt group in the future. She would like to donate her time in teaching how to do these to enhance some of the buildings around Roundup.

You can contact Connie at 323-8282. She invites you to stop by and see some of her work at her home on 9th and 11th, during day hours.