Wender·Vista
Bighorn ram in Yellowstone northern range
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileMontana
on the cliffs of Yellowstone's northern range

Bighorn ram in Yellowstone northern range

— — the curl of horn that took seven winters to grow.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“A mature ram on the basalt benches above the Gardner River, in the strip of Yellowstone that opens into Montana. The northern range is where the sheep winter, picking grasses off the south-facing slopes between Gardiner and the Lamar Valley. Rams carry curled horns that can weigh thirty pounds, more than every other bone in the body combined. They face into the wind and chew slowly.

from the studio
Bighorn ram in Yellowstone northern range
— bring it home

Bighorn ram in Yellowstone northern range, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Bighorn ram in Yellowstone northern range

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The Yellowstone northern range runs roughly fifty miles east from Gardiner, Montana through the Mammoth, Blacktail, and Lamar valleys, and is the lowest, driest, and least snowy corner of the park. Bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis, winter on the south-facing slopes around Mount Everts, Sepulcher Mountain, and the cliffs above Soda Butte Creek. The park boundary north of Gardiner is the only year-round park entrance and crosses from Montana into Wyoming under the Roosevelt Arch, dedicated by Theodore Roosevelt in 1903.

— the air

Elevations on the northern range climb from about 5,300 feet at Gardiner to over 8,000 feet on the flanks of Mount Washburn. Cold air drains down the Gardner and Yellowstone river canyons through the winter, and the sheep follow the sun, moving from one wind-scoured slope to the next. Counts by the Yellowstone Center for Resources have placed the herd between 250 and 400 animals across recent decades, with numbers tracking winter severity and pneumonia exposure from neighbouring domestic flocks.

— the visit

The most reliable viewing for bighorn sheep runs from December through March along the road between Gardiner and Mammoth Hot Springs, where rams come down to feed near the highway. The Lamar Valley reaches deeper into the park; access closes to wheeled vehicles in winter beyond Cooke City. Park entry costs $35 per vehicle for seven days, or is free with the America the Beautiful pass. Binoculars or a spotting scope at twenty yards' distance is the basic ethic.

— informed by NPS — Plan Your Visit
— where
United States · Park County, Montana / Yellowstone National Park
— within
Yellowstone National Park
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
3 km N
Gardiner
park gateway town
8 km S
Mammoth Hot Springs
geothermal area
40 km E
Lamar Valley
wildlife valley
25 km N
Paradise Valley
river valley
80 km NE
Cooke City
mountain town
N
Bighorn ram in Yellowstone northern range
Gardiner
Mammoth Hot Springs
Lamar Valley
Paradise Valley
Cooke City
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Bighorn ram in Yellowstone northern range — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Most reliably along the road between Gardiner, Montana and Mammoth Hot Springs in winter, on the cliffs of Mount Everts and Sepulcher Mountain. The northern range south-facing slopes carry the herd through the cold months.

A mature ram weighs around 250 to 300 pounds. The curled horns alone can weigh 30 pounds, more than every other bone in the body combined, and are grown over seven to nine winters.

Mostly grasses and sedges blown clear of snow by the wind, along with shrubs and forbs they can reach. The northern range's south-facing benches melt off first, which is why the sheep concentrate there.

The herd is not federally listed but is closely monitored. Pneumonia transmitted from domestic sheep is the largest threat. Counts have ranged between roughly 250 and 400 animals across recent decades.

The rut runs through November and into early December. Rams compete by running at one another and clashing horns, a sound that carries half a mile across cold air in the canyons of the northern range.

— about the piece in your home

It often is. The ram on the cliffs is one of the quieter signatures of the park, less photographed than the wolves or bison but as central to the northern range. A Medium or Large carries the place well.

The piece reads well in mountain-modern interiors with warm wood and leather, in western-traditional rooms with darker walls, and in jewel-tone maximalist spaces where the amber and slate stained-glass tones can sing.

A single Large covers most sofas in a typical living room. Above a long console, a Medium or a pair of Smalls reads well. For a great-room wall, a four-tile Mural gives the ram the cliff he needs.

Yes, in Dura Satin or Matte. Both finishes handle steam and splash and resist scratching. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, so daily wiping does not wear it.

A soft microfibre cloth and clean water. Skip ammonia, citrus cleaners, and abrasive pads. The infused colour stays put indefinitely, and the finish keeps its even sheen with a gentle hand.

— if this one stayed with you

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