The famous naturalist, conservation advocate and writer, John Muir (1838-1914), has many significant quotes that capture the human sensibilities when experiencing a gorgeous landscape view, or simply “being” in nature. One such quote is, “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” Another quote, taken from John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir, 1938:
Come to the woods, for here is rest. There is no repose like that of the green deep woods. Here grow the wallflower and the violet. The squirrel will come and sit upon your knee, the logcock will wake you in the morning. Sleep in forgetfulness of all ill. Of all the upness accessible to mortals, there is no upness comparable to the mountains.
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Black Mesa Landscape, New Mexico / Out Back of Marie’s II, 1930, oil on canvas, 24¼ x 36¼”, by Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986). Gift of The Burnett Foundation. © Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. [1997.6.15] Photo by TimNighswander/IMAGING4ART.
Many artists, too, fall under nature’s spell, finding it so compelling they make depicting “the landscape” their entire career. Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986), for instance, was so taken by the New Mexico landscape, it changed her entire painting trajectory.
“By the mid-1920s, O’Keeffe was recognized as one of America’s most important and successful artists, known for her paintings of New York skyscrapers—an essentially American symbol of modernity—as well as her equally radical depictions of flowers,” say representatives at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. “In the summer of 1929, O’Keeffe made the first of many trips to northern New Mexico. The stark landscape and Native American and Hispanic cultures of the region inspired a new direction in O’Keeffe’s art. For the next two decades, she spent most summers living and working in New Mexico. She made the state her permanent home in 1949, three years after [her husband’s] death.”
Jacob Cooley, Gathering Darkness, oil on canvas, 16 x 20"; John McCallister, Depths Divined Deepening, oil on canvas, 18 x 23”
O’Keeffe said of her infatuation with the landscape, “I had to create an equivalent for what I felt about what I was looking at—not copy it.”
Contemporary artists like Jacob Cooley, provides his own stunning vision of the landscape in works like Gathering Darkness—a minimal yet compelling scene. “[This] is a striking vista on a part of my father’s land in Hillsborough, North Carolina, where I have strong family roots,” the artist explains. “The view is bewitching, especially at dusk. For me, there is some alchemy to how the tree line, water and sky come together. Only the essentials.”
He adds, “The experience of landscape is a universal one,” he says. “It is something we all relate to as an aspect of the human experience. In my work, I attempt to document the places that I’m passing through in all their beguiling ways. [My] paintings speak about what is transient and sublime in landscape. Most importantly, they celebrate the profound adventure of being alive.”
American Artists Professional League, Irish Mist, oil on canvas, 24 x 36”, by Cindy Marrazzo.
In John McAllister’s work, we see landscape scenes in a bold, “exaggerated palette,” says a gallery representative at James Fuentes in Los Angeles, where the artist recently had a show. “In each element of his compositions, McAllister strives to behold nature as a version of reality assembled by, and filtered through, the human mind. “Through these glimmering, seamless transitions between land, water, shadow and sky, he reveals the distortions that live in our senses of time and space. How can our eyes simultaneously perceive plants that are mere inches in front of us in the same manner as stars that are light-years away?”
McCallister shares that he often begins a bike ride at sunrise and concludes it at sunset, doing this throughout every season. “It cultivates a keen awareness of the changing world,” he says. “You, the rider, become like the hands of a clock, circling the Earth’s dial. The light’s unique qualities shift as our position in the solar system changes. Spring unfolds slowly as days lengthen, bursting with an initial explosion of color before morphing into a verdant tapestry. Those spectacular, chromatic sunsets then recede further into the distance.”
American Artists Professional League, Dean Village, watercolor, 23 x 30”, by Arlene Robbins; Blue Rain Gallery, Above Marble Canyon, oil on canvas, 24 x 36”, by Martin Blundell.
In the remainder of this special section, you will hear from more artists, galleries and arts organizations about the popular genre of landscape art.
In the realm of landscape painting, it can be challenging for artists to stand out. However, Blue Rain Gallery artist Martin Blundell captures attention with his bold marks and use of vibrant colors that depict the Southwest. “His paintings explore the distinctive landforms and skyscapes of high deserts, mountain valleys and rural areas,” says the gallery’s director of sales, Merlinda Melendrez. “Characterized by strong color and textured surfaces, created with brush and palette knife techniques, Blundell’s oil paintings are included in private, corporate, university and museum collections. He has received awards from the University of Utah, Utah Watercolor Society, Utah Arts Council, Bountiful Davis Art Center, Springville Museum of Art and Utah Technical University Sears Museum. Additionally, he is recognized in the University of Utah Marriott Library’s collection of Notable Utah Artists.
When purchasing landscape artwork, Melendrez says, “look for pieces that not only capture the region’s unique landforms and color palette, but also convey a sense of texture and depth through skilled techniques.”
American Artists Professional League, 30th Street Area of Philadelphia, oil on linen, 18 x 36”, by Keith Willis
Artist members of the American Artists Professional League have different approaches towards a similar goal—“they strive to represent their subjects realistically and they celebrate a moment of beauty in the world,” AAPL representatives explain. Artist Keith Willis shares, “Inspiration comes to me from everything in the surrounding world. Artistically as a realist I need to decide whether to put that experience to canvas. Is the image or scene being considered interesting or compelling enough to paint it, with all the attention and effort required to make it? More importantly, how do I feel about it? Does it move me or speak to me somehow?
Clockwise from left: Canyon Road Contemporary Art, Natures Brilliant Colors, 62 x 50”, by Ed Sandoval; Canyon Road Contemporary Art, Ancestral Light, oil on canvas, 32 x 42”, by Ed Sandoval; Blue Rain Gallery, Conifers, oil on canvas, 24 x 36”, by Martin Blundell.
AAPL artist Arlene Robbins plays on contrasts in pieces like Dean Village. She says, “I contrast hard and soft lines and warm and cool hues, reflecting tranquility and my love for my subject. For Cindy Marazzo, art never fails to bring her peace and happiness, “whether in the form of painting or dancing, art renews my good attitude towards life,” she shares. “I am drawn to landscapes and colors and phenomenal craftsmanship. My subjects usually contain those moments in life that make me stop, catch my breath and stare. And when I paint, I feel like I am drawn into that scene.”
Top: Canyon Road Contemporary Art, Silence of Sunset, oil on canvas, 26 x 50”, by Ed Sandoval; Dale Terbush, Around a Corner in Time, acrylic, 16 x 20” Bottom:. Dale Terbush, Just Because of You, acrylic, 12 x 12” ; Lori Putnam, Morning on the Farm, oil on linen, 30 x 40”
The annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational, now in its 26th year, is one of the most prestigious and longest running plein air fine art events in the nation. This annual favorite celebrates the plein air painting legacy and tradition that helped establish Laguna Beach as an Art Colony more than a century ago. Plein air painters come to Laguna Beach to capture its unique light and beautiful costal views, and the iconic sights have become one of the outdoor painters’ favorite muse.
This year, LPAPA has invited 30 of the nation’s top award-winning artists to gather in Laguna Beach, California, and transform the community into an outdoor painting studio with interactive cultural art experiences for collectors, visitors and residents to enjoy over the nine-day event from October 5 to 13. The Collectors Gala “Art Party” takes place on Saturday, October 12 at the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts.
Stephen Henning, Itasca, acrylic, 24 x 48”
Artist Ed Sandoval, represented by Canyon Road Contemporary Art, is inspired by a deep reverence for the New Mexico of his boyhood. “Born in the rural mountain village of Nambé, I felt a deep connection to the elders who shared their stories and wisdom,” he explains. “They taught me the ‘old ways’ of living in harmony and balance with the land by understanding nature’s rhythms and healing powers. We grew crops, tended animals and built adobe homes. Grandma, a curandera (Native healer), made remedies from herbs that she grew in her garden and hung from the kitchen vigas. My paintings honor their lives and stories while celebrating the timeless wonder of nature that nurtures, uplifts and soothes. Inspired by memory and the ever-changing symphony of color and light in our landscapes and skies, I want viewers to enter the painting and feel that peaceful authenticity and purity.”
When collecting the genre, Sandoval recommends to, “Choose a painting that impacts you emotionally and spiritually—one that quiets the mind while expanding and elevating your spirit. That personal connection will grow even stronger with time.”
Top: Dale Terbush, Time to Start Dreaming, acrylic, 16 x 20”; Blue Rain Gallery, Desert Light, oil on canvas, 36 x 36”, by Martin Blundell. Bottom: Lori Putnam, Glint, oil on linen, 14 x 18”; Sam Paonessa, Autumn Mosaic, acrylic on cradled panel, 14 x 18”
Dale Terbush feels that every artist paints in their own private language—wanting someone to understand what they are trying to say. “It’s as simple as that,” he says. “Art, whether it be painting, sculpture, music, whatever, is for each of the creators, a form of communication. I have been extremely fortunate in this lifetime to have been able to communicate to many people.”
Terbush’s landscape paintings are almost entirely imaginary, and as so, when he is in his studio, he’s able to travel to distant lands that exist only in the corners of his mind. “When I start applying color to canvas, it’s almost as though I enter a state of Zen and all things, all actions become one,” he says. “I am quite sure many artists will understand that statement. I can watch in wonder on what was just moments before nothing but a blank canvas. Suddenly there are clouds, sky mountains, rivers, lakes, trees, and everything in between starts to appear. I have lived and am living an amazing existence—a gift from God.”
Terbush is represented by: Mainview Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona; Manitou Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Exposures International Gallery of Fine Art, Sedona, Arizona; Horizon Fine Art, Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and Texas Treasures in Boerne, Texas.
Clockwise from top left: Lori Putnam, Colors of the Southwest, oil on linen, 36 x 48”; Vanessa Françoise Rothe, Hayrolls in Provence, oil on linen, 18 x 24”; Vanessa Françoise Rothe, Farmhouse in Provence, oil on linen, 14 x 18”; Tatiana Shitikova, Warm Day, oil on canvas, 47 x 24”; Stephen Henning, La Joie de Vivre, acrylic, 36 x 30”
For artist Lori Putnam, landscape painting is not always about a specific subject. Her works capture what makes a place unique on a particular day. Whether it is the heat of the Southwest, cold snow on a winter morning or a last glimpse of light on the beach, Putnam paints with emotion and bravura. “Collectors connect with these locations and brief glimpses of time,” she says. “Sometimes, my work reminds people of a place they have been, and other times, of an escape they wish to make.” In a variety of sizes and scenes from all over the world, there is something for everyone, in Putnam’s oevre. Collectors can find Putnam’s work at Cawdrey Gallery in Whitefish, Montana; the Harbour Gallery in Portscatho, Cornwall, United Kingdom; and the artist’s art studio located in Charlotte, Tennessee.
RJD Gallery, The Way Home, oil on panel, 14 x 11”, by David Gluck; Vanessa Françoise Rothe, Tuscan Skies, oil on linen, 24 x 18”; Clement Scott, Indigo Shores, oil on panel, 20 x 20”
“Landscape paintings transport the viewer to a different place—paintings that somehow make us feel more connected to nature can also help us slow down from our hectic schedules, soothe our minds and calm our souls,” says artist Stephen Henning, who’s artistic goal is to create something beautiful. “I prefer to depict a world relatively untouched by man. I deliberately leave out man-made structures, but will occasionally show a road or path.”
RJD Gallery, The Approach, oil on panel, 13 x 20”, by David Gluck; Dimitrina Kutriansky, Summer Repose, oil on panel, 20 x 24”
Henning paints in an impressionistic style because, “it is all about a different way of seeing nature,” he adds. “I hope that when my art is seen on a wall, it is like a soothing portal through which the viewer finds comfort, and a beautiful space to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily worries. I hope my art can bring the viewer a sense of joy.” His paintings Itasca and La Joie de Vivre are shining examples of Henning’s artistic talents, and are certainly “joyful” renderings.
Sam Paonessa’s landscape Autumn Mosaicwas inspired by a plein air painting trip to Bon Echo Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. “Forests of leaf-filled trees hold my visual interest as my eye sees layer after layer of color, value and texture,” says the artist. “Forest subjects provide an opportunity to use multiple layers of paint applied with palette knife and a soft rubber brayer. Foundation layers were first laid using light and dark transparent color with matte medium. Thicker opaque paint layers were scumbled with brush and palette knife to highlight fall foliage capturing an effective depth and dimension to the autumn forest mosaic. My intent is for the viewer and art collector alike to delve deeper into the values and colors of the textured trees.”
Clement Scott, A Pause in Time, oil on panel, 10 x 20”
Artist Vanessa Françoise Rothe, owner of Vanessa Rothe Fine Art Gallery, not only combines bold fashion figures on colorful backgrounds, but creates beautiful landscapes depicting France, Switzerland and Italy. Her style captures the romance of historic cities such as Paris and Venice, along with classic California seascapes near her home in Laguna Beach—“influenced by a blend of traditional, representational impressionist works by some of the Masters like Sargent, Wendt, Payne, Manet and Cassas, as well as contemporary, modern masters like Dan McCaw and Malcom Liepke,” the artist says.
RJD Gallery, Arctic Sunset, oil on panel, 8 x 10”, by David Gluck; Clement Scott, Colorado Moonlight, oil on panel, 24 x 24”
Rothe takes the essence of a subject and captures its charm with the use of color, shadow and light. “I add thicker, bold brush strokes and pleasing color combinations to form a realist yet slightly impressionistic, decorative style,” she explains.
In landscape pieces like Farmhouse in Provence, a favorite scene to paint for the artist, Rothe says that the “salmon colored farmhouse with large dark trees that sway in the minstrel wind, is painted below a town called Roussillon, where the ochre of the mountains is mixed into colors that the locals paint their houses with. Many are pink, red, yellow and orange in color and make for a fun subject and charming farmhouse.”
Find additional pieces like Tuscan Skies, inspired by the artist’s time in the wheatfields of Val D’Orcia, Italy; and Hayrolls in Provence, created near the village of Gordes, France, featuring the Luberon mountains in the distance.
Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational, Morning at the Main Beach, oil, by Ray Roberts; Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational, Laguna Light, oil, 9 x 12”, by Michael Obermeyer.
“As a landscape painter, my work does not necessarily intend to reaffirm a specific place or time, but rather aims to create a unique otherworldly experience,” says RJD Gallery artist David Gluck. “Through soft, luminous colors, textures and dreamlike compositions, I hope to create a sense of wonder and serenity for the viewer. I want to invite them into a space that may not be familiar but welcoming none the less. Much of my work is done in studio as opposed to plein air over many days, weeks or even months. I find my process takes many layers to create the intended effects, so I am often rotating through many works at the same time.”
Find Gluck’s moody and peaceful sensibility in works like The Way Home, The Approach and Arctic Sunset.
The inspiration for Tatiana Shitikova’s painting, Warm Day,came from the mountains and streams in the summer, from her home in Switzerland—“when the rocks are heated and the cold-water contrasts amazingly with them,” she adds. “I wanted to convey the reflexes, the play of light and shadows and the beautiful state of a ‘warm day.’” Shitikova relies on her own photos and videos from the field, in addition to sketches that are used in the preparation of the work. “My target is to most accurately capture the mood of nature in that beautiful moment,” she says. “Modern realism in landscapes gives an opportunity to see the composition of the painting in a new way, new angles and themes with classic painting techniques.”
Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational, Before Sunrise, oil, 14 x 24”, by Aimee Erickson.
Shitikova has been exhibiting her works regularly in solo or group shows, and her works can be found all over the globe. The artist is a finalist of numerous international art contests, and is also a member of the International Guild of Realism.
Clement Scott is an artist living and working in Arizona. Using a variety of tools, he paints tonal landscapes, focusing on capturing the effect of atmosphere, weather and light upon those scenes.
“I am inspired by atmospheric changes to the landscape,” the artist elaborates. “I love seeing how snow, dust, fog, changing light and rain alter familiar landscapes. These things really change the mood of a place. I like to use limited palettes in order to achieve a more tonal look. Mostly, I paint from charcoal sketches and studies rather than from photos, which keeps me focused and prevents me from getting overwhelmed by details. I apply the paint with drywall knives, behrs and palette knives, using the brush sparingly.”
Scott is currently focusing on a body of work from a recent trip to Montana and Wyoming. His work can be found at Belleza Gallery in Bisbee, Arizona.
Dimitrina Kutriansky, Winter Illumination, oil on canvas, 30 x 24”
Artist Dimitrina Kutriansky has coined the term “romantic naturalism” to describe her style, “as my artwork strives to harmonize the key concepts of the naturalist and romanticist movements,” she says. “This unique style evolved through extensive study of the works of the Russian realist movement—known as the Peredvizhniki— the Hudson River School and the 17th-and 18th-century Dutch landscape masters.”
She continues, “I believe that nature arouses our emotions and the feeling that there is something beyond the observable. Thus, I aspire to combine the detailed representationalism at the heart of the naturalist movement with romanticism, which relies on the more subliminal aspects of nature, incorporating emotion and sentimentality to create scenes that are also characterized by atmosphere and a sense of place. In this way, descriptive elements define the space and the story being told in a poetic, lyrical way, introducing and welcoming the viewers to experience the feeling of the moment that the painting captures.” —
Featured Artists & Galleries
American Artists Professional League
47 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003
admin@aaplinc.org
www.aaplinc.org
Blue Rain Gallery
544 South Guadalupe Street
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
(505) 954-9902
934 Main Avenue, Unit B
Durango, Colorado 81301
(970) 232-2033
www.blueraingallery.com
Canyon Road Contemporary Art
409 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 983-0433
info@canyoncontemporary.com
www.canyoncontemporary.com
Clement Scott with Belleza Gallery
23 Main Street, Bisbee, AZ 85603
(520) 432-5877
www.gallerybelleza.com
Instagram: cjscottaz
Dale Terbush
terbush@cox.net
www.daleterbushart.com
Dimitrina Kutriansky
dimitrina@dimitrinakutriansky.com
www.dimitrinakutriansky.com
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
217 Johnson Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 946-1000
contact@gokm.org
www.okeeffemuseum.org
Jacob Cooley
www.jacobcooley.com
James Fuentes Gallery
5015 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 380-6199
John McCallister
Instagram: j.o.h.n.mcallister
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association
Laguna Beach, CA
(949) 376-3635
info@lpapa.org
lpapa.org
Lori Putnam
studio@loriputnam.com
www.loriputnam.com
RJD Gallery
227 N. Main Street, Romeo,
MI 48065
(586) 281-3613
www.rjdgallery.com
Sam Paonessa Fine Art
(647) 923-9615
sam@sampaonessa.comm
www.sampaonessa.com
Instagram: sampaonessa_fineart
Stephen Henning
Evansville, MN, (218) 948-2288
stephen@stephenhenningfineart.com
www.stephenhenningfineart.com
Instagram: stephenhenningfineart
Tatiana Shitikova
Lucerne, Switzerland
art@tatiana-shitikova.ch
www.tatiana-shitikova.ch
Vanessa Rothe Fine Art
(949) 280-1555
vanessarothe@icloud.com
www.vanessarothefineart.com
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