Unvarnished Truths
Women in the Western Art World
Written by: Victoria Keto
Western art has long been characterized by images of sweeping landscapes, rugged cowboys, and frontier life — mostly painted by men. Western-style art is in high demand in Montana galleries, making it one of the most popular art styles in the state. However, female artists are redefining the genre, challenging western art as we know it, and making space for their own perspectives. Despite working in a male-dominated field, they honor the spirit of the West while pushing artistic boundaries. The stories of Amber Blazina and Laurén Poole — two Montana-based female artists — reflect not only the struggles for recognition, but also the balance between ambition, expectation, and the biases they still face. Yet, with incredible resilience and talent, they continue to redefine the western art scene.
Artist Amber Blazina is a talented painter with work displayed in galleries such as Montana Trails Gallery in Bozeman, Montana. Having always admired her style, I was eager to learn more about the person behind the art. Amber has lived in Montana for nearly her entire life. Initially pursuing a career in graphic and interior design, she transitioned to full-time painting about ten years ago. In high school, she adhered to a traditional painting style, but over time, her work evolved into something looser and more expressive.
“I think the thing that really drew me to the western style was when I worked as an interior designer,” Amber says. “I would go to these big, beautiful houses and see a lot of art, but all of it was contemporary, not traditional western.” During these visits, she recalled being captivated by western painter Carol Kagan and her bold use of color with her subjects. Amber’s artistic journey began in her dining room, but it quickly grew into something bigger, and she had to move to a studio. Her paintings began to gain attention, and she was soon selling her work. “There weren’t a lot of people doing that style at the time, so I got noticed quickly, which was cool, but it also got into my head. I became more of a perfectionist in my paintings,” she explains. Despite this success, Amber admitted to moments of doubt, particularly early in her career, when her lack of formal training made her feel like an imposter — especially when placed alongside other, more established artists in galleries.
One aspect of Amber’s style that always fascinates me is her ability to evoke a sense of peace and stillness in her art. Looking at her pieces, you feel as if you’re surrounded by nature itself. Curious about her creative process, I asked how she came up with her painting ideas. Amber explained that inspiration either comes from the canvas itself or from a photo.
“There’s a moment that the camera can capture this pause; I love the pauses. It’s like something looking back or walking, and it’s not scared yet, it’s just in a quiet moment,” Amber says. It’s the tension in that photo that she loves to replicate. One of her most popular paintings, featuring a blue deer, came from a picture her friend had taken on a morning walk. Amber purchased the image for $100 and as she painted it over time, the deer grew bluer and bluer. There’s a variation of this piece, called “Indigo Girls” featuring a group of blue-hued deer. Amber favors using swatches of color and distinct brush strokes with a blurred edge, making the painting seem softer.
Despite her success, she remains a female artist in a predominantly male-dominated genre. Amber acknowledges the presence of bias but stresses the importance of not letting it consume your energy. “We all know the difficulties for women in art are there, but the less you focus on it and just focus on making yourself the best version of you, the better it is. It’s hard to do sometimes when it’s in your face all the time.” I asked her if there were any specific instances she could recall. “When I introduce myself to people or when they ask me what I do, I say I’m a professional artist because otherwise, I get the reply of ‘Oh, that’s so cute!’ and they think it’s a hobby,” said Amber. There have been multiple instances where her husband tells others his wife paints, and it takes them actually going to the gallery and seeing her work to realize it’s her career.
While Amber was picked up quickly, many female artists struggle to gain a career in art, and it’s far more common to see a gallery filled with male artists. Amber shared her experience at a Fall Arts Festival, where she recalled how intimidating it was and felt as though majority of the artists were established male artists. Amber told me that a big part of the festival is the featured artist on the posters and event. “If I had to guess,” she said, “maybe once every ten years does a female artist get that main spot.” After doing some research of my own, I could only find up to the past three years, but there were no singularly featured female artists. Not only were there no women in the main spot, but each female artist was paired with a male artist for an event, meanwhile plenty of men had their own shows.
Amber went on to explain why she believes women face these barriers: “Women don’t just dedicate their lives to art. We have families. We carry the mental load at home, and I don’t care what anyone says — women carry it.” It was a sobering reminder of the additional challenges women battle when pursuing careers in art, especially when balancing family life. According to a 2014 study from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, mothers lose 4% of their hourly wages for every child they have, and fathers of the same job status and age see their wages rise by 6%. Painters are self-employed, meaning their time is worth money. How do you continue to produce the same amount of work, when now juggling being a mother as well? An age-old problem that still hasn’t been solved. Being a mother and carrying the family duties could easily lead to artistic burnout for female artists, yet another trial for them to overcome.
When asked about the changes she’d like to see in the art world, Amber sighed. “Women need to charge what they’re worth!” She recounted a time early in her career when she made a bold decision to raise her prices: “It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done, like I was sick to my stomach. I told myself that I was worth this, that I needed this. If a man had done that, it would have been fine.” Amber believes that women tend to underprice their work, driven by a sense of empathy for buyers and self-doubt. “It’s time to stop that thinking,” she said firmly. We then discussed the challenges faced by women who are still trying to be viewed as successful in the art world. Blazina’s advice for new female artists was simple: Find a supportive community of women. “It sounds scary, but women artists, especially in the western art world, they’re the best. They want to teach you, they want you to grow, they recognize that there’s enough out there for everyone to have a piece of the pie. They’re here to help and share their own knowledge.” She also emphasized how important it is to be prepared when pitching to galleries. “Galleries are more likely to see a sense of stability in men. Women have to prove themselves first — make sure your prices are solid, your marketing is on point, and your online presence is up to date,” said Blazina.
Blazina’s story gave me an entirely new perspective on women in art, particularly those who have families of their own. She’s got a foothold now, but it was reassuring to hear that wasn’t always the case. Her journey is proof for any female painter doubting themselves — you can still pursue art; just be prepared for the challenges that come with it. If you’d like to see more of her work, Amber will have a solo show at Gallery Wild in Jackson, Wyoming, this May. She plans to present all the new work that’ll be a departure in style from her previous art.
Eager to explore the next generation of artists, I sat down with Laurén, a Bozeman native and rising star in the art world. She is currently studying painting at Montana State University (MSU). Laurén describes her style as “putting the feminine edge to western art. I use bright pinks and purples because they’re traditionally feminine.” Laurén’s grandparents owned a gallery and collected western art, so Laurén grew up around it. It wasn’t until she started studying painting in college that she began to paint more landscapes and classic western imagery. Recently, Laurén has been pushing the boundaries of classic western themes by focusing on the often-overlooked role of women in the early West — depicting women working hard on the ranch, alongside the traditional cowboy. Laurén believes it’s crucial to portray women doing the same hard labor as men. “Traditionally, we see women portrayed holding laundry or being in the kitchen, when in reality, there are women out on the ranch full-time and herding cattle.” She says that she wants those women’s voices to be heard, and that it is female artists who are the ones telling their stories.
When I asked Laurén about her experiences with bias, she said a lot of people don’t believe her when she says she plans to pursue painting as her full-time career after college. “Whenever I tell people I paint for a career, I can tell that they think I’m delusional, even if they don’t say it to my face. I can just tell the way they perceive me shifts, which sucks, because they’re immediately writing off what I’m doing just because of bias.” Laurén recalled a time when someone asked her what she was studying, and she answered, “painting,” the person quickly remarked how she should study more graphic design. It completely stunned her how fast her work was dismissed. “It’s like the moment a woman takes up something that’s usually a hobby and turns it into a career, it’s simply not okay.”
Laurén also raised concerns about how the idea of the “starving artist” affects women’s perception of art. “I always hear in the art department, other female artists saying how they’re going to have to marry rich so they can continue to paint. I don’t get it. Why can’t they be the rich one?” Laurén believes women don’t make profitable money off art because they sell themselves short. They don’t price themselves where they can make a living off art. “There have been times when I’ve looked at the prices of male painters and realized I was underpricing my work,” Laurén says. In a sample of 1.9 million auction transactions in 49 countries, paintings by female artists sell at an unconditional discount of 42.1%, according to Gendered Prices. Female artists’ tendency to undervalue their work may explain why their art sells for less.
As a young artist, Laurén has her own ideas about what needs to change in the 57 art world. “I want to see big magazines highlighting more female artists, as well as Indigenous artists. There’s been a lot of historical male artists. It’s time to see what voice women bring to the table.” Laurén also sees a lack of exposure for emerging artists. She explained how amazing it is that MSU’s art program is female-dominated, but then it’s difficult for those young artists to even get their name out there. “It feels impossible for starting artists to find their space or showcase their work. There’s so much talent in this new generation.”
If you’re interested in supporting Laurén and her work, her senior thesis exhibition will be held at MSU in December 2025. She’ll be posting more information on her Instagram, @artbyllp. Her thesis is focused on reimagining western themes through a feminine lens. “It’s gonna be my biggest body of work yet,” she told me with excitement.
The stories of Amber Blazina and Laurén Poole shed light on the challenges and triumphs of female western painters. Their work, despite the biases and barriers, are powerful reminders that the art world is still changing, and the voices of women in western art are becoming more influential. With each barrier broken, new opportunities open for future generations of female artists in Montana.