For Brian and Laura Obert, moving to Townsend was like coming home.

"It's like a puzzle piece falling into place," said painter Laura Obert. "We just fit here."

In the past few years, the energetic and multi-talented couple has lived a vagabond life -- on the road for at least three extensive road trips per year, hitting both coasts and numerous art fairs, racking up 27,000 to 34,000 miles annually.

But lately, with Brian taking a job as regional program manager for Montana Business Assistance Connection (formerly Gateway Economic Development Corporation), they're able to spend more time enjoying Townsend and immersing themselves in the community.

His new job allows Brian to use his skills as an engineer and the work experience he gained in manufacturing at Boeing, but also the marketing skills he's honed in the art world. It also allows him to return to the area he'd spent his childhood.

For Laura, moving to Townsend means more time for her art, but also for diving into politics as a legislative contender.

But there's something more to Laura and Brian than just the sum of all the parts they do.

People who bump into Brian on the street, or stop to chat with Laura, are soon absorbed into a world of ideas and community projects.

They've both immersed themselves in Townsend's recent "branding" exercise to help the community better market its assets, such as Canyon Ferry Lake. They're also generating interest in creating an artists' guild, perhaps with a storefront or gallery, where local artisans could market their work (see other story).

Sitting in their strawbale home Monday, with an expansive view of Canyon Ferry Lake blanketed in snow in the distance, they talked about a few of their passions and what drew them to Townsend.

Laura lives to paint

Laura is committed to painting.

"I have to paint," Laura said, which she does for at least six hours most days.

In some ways, it's serendipitous that Laura became an artist.

Born in Havre, she studied history and English at Montana State University-Bozeman. When she ran out of money, she became a nanny on the East Coast, finished her degree in Phoenix and went to work for Alaska Airlines in Seattle.

A Seattle friend who was teaching an art class recruited Laura as a guinea pig 14 years ago. She's been painting ever since.

Her father Jim Grasky also is an artist.

"My dad is a character. He comes out of the world of 1880," she said. "He's so idealistic. He's so unique."

She recalls that as a border patrolman, he spent much of his life on horseback. He liked to explore homesteads and always carried a sketchbook in his saddlebags.

Laura's art interests turn mostly to nature. She often paints birds or animals on turkey feathers or leaf skeletons. Recently, she began painting landscapes on silk.

"I want a totally different voice," she said, which drives her to continually experiment.

She and Brian first crossed paths in Seattle at a Griz-Bobcat televised game, she said. So many Montanans live in Seattle that there are monthly gatherings.

When Brian's father became ill in 1994, they decided to return to Townsend to help his mom. They made their decision permanent in 1995, taking a year off to build their strawbale home.

From drawing the design to leveling the land to pouring the foundation and raising the walls, they did everything on their house but the roofing. Brian's brothers also helped.

"It's us," Laura said, looking around the expansive living room. It brings together soft, sculptural qualities in the curves of the doorframes and windows, yet has practical, energy-efficient features.

Brian adds that it's totally locally grown, from its timber to the straw.

Life on the road

But Brian and Laura weren't home all that much to enjoy their house. For eight years, they mainly lived on the road with two dogs, a cat, their bikes and a kayak.

Every January, they'd head to Venice, Fla., for a three-month stay. Their converted airport shuttle van served as a mobile frame shop. It hauled a travel trailer that was their living quarters and Laura's art studio. The first stop would be a two-week camping trip in the Everglades.

Everyday there was painting and framing, with weekend trips to art fairs. They recall sleeping surrounded by the sounds of birds. And once, a panther passed by in the night.

They would would criss-cross the country from Montana to Florida to New England, through Ohio and Pennsylvania and then to California and the Southwest. With the joys of viewing exotic birds and alligators also came some hardships, like cobbling together a broken axle during an ice storm outside of Winnemucca, Nev.

On the way home, they'd fill their trailer with antiques for Brian to re-finish. The work suits him, said Laura because he pays attention to detail. This loving care also draws compliments for his framing.

While some artists prefer to stay in their studio and hate to market their work, Laura loves it.

Their travels led to friendships, exciting new places and also learning the business of marketing. Her face lights up when she meets a friend or a stranger. She said she thrives on getting feedback about her art and picking up new ideas.

And her customers are loyal and affectionate. In fact, one from Florida tracked them down last week, calling from the Silos parking lot and asking if he could stop in.

Yet they also learned how vulnerable the art market can be. When gas prices rose, art sales dropped. When tragedies struck, such as the shootings at Columbine, folks in Colorado lost any appetite for art.

So for now, the camper rests near the house, awaiting trips to Montana art fairs.

And while Laura's spending more time painting these days, she won't be abandoning her newfound interest in politics. She ran against Scott Sales for a legislative seat, and she plans to run for political office again at some point.

Townsend residents may spot her campaigning on her bicycle.

"She's made herself knowledgeable about transportation alternatives," said Townsend Mayor Mary Alice Upton, noting that as a result, Laura did a lot of her campaigning by bike.

Hooked on Townsend

Brian's love of Townsend and of his job is obvious.

"He comes home late. He goes to work early," said Laura. "He loves his job."

Brian got hooked on promoting Townsend when he volunteered in the local community assessment in 2004.

He said his mix of marketing, engineering and production skills works well for the community.

"There's a real push to attract light manufacturing," Brian said, noting that he's recently been courting a Montana company that's shopping for a new location. "I can sit and talk with him about changing his production line."

He also can talk about the less tangible benefits Townsend offers. While business owners want to know the details about industrial parks, they're also curious about the quality of life, which includes everything from the grocery stores and schools to the local workforce.

Although Brian's focused at the moment on steering Townsend's branding efforts, he also assists East Helena and White Sulphur Springs with both business recruitment and retention.

A recent Townsend accomplishment that's a source of community pride is the newly spruced-up downtown.

Old, broken sidewalks were replaced, new trees were planted and historic lights installed.

Many credit Brian for his technical assistance and perseverance in shepherding some of these projects along.

"The fact that he was local was really a help," Upton said. "You could find Brian doing everything, from working with the engineer to laying the paving blocks to doing the shoveling."

She added that Brian and Laura Obert are sincere about their love of their offerings to Townsend.

"They have beliefs they live up to and practice. They are just the kind of young people our community likes added to the mix," Upton said.

"They have new ideas but respect old traditions."