Rusti Warner grew up on a cattle ranch near Whitefish, Montana. As a teen she moved to Havre, Montana, a small railroad town on the outskirts of several Indian Reservations.

Memorable high school years brought the artist many great friendships and insights into modern, American Indian life. These youthful times also started the artist's interest in portraiture, artistic anatomy, and oil painting.

In 1996 Rusti was invited to study briefly in the northern cities of Italy. In college, Rusti examined Renaissance style painting methods and began working from life on a daily basis. In 2000, the artist completed her B.F.A. at MSU-B in Billings, Montana.

Rusti is now 32 years old and has had several one-woman...