The Evolving Landscape

Collector's Focus: Landscapes

Introduction by Sarah Gianelli

The word “landscape,” which comes from the Dutch “landschap,” was first used in the context of a specific art genre in the early 17th century. When the Dutch Republic declared independence from Spain in 1588, the growth of capitalism and the country’s wealth revolutionized painting and ushered in a new era now called the Dutch Golden Age, which lasted until 1672. It was during this time that the genre was flourishing in the Netherlands, where pure landscape paintings were appreciated and accepted as fine art, centuries before the rest of the Western art world would follow suit.

In other parts of Europe, until the 19th century, landscapes served as the backdrop for narrative paintings—often religious or mythical in nature and in which figures were the main subject. These types of pictures were especially popular in Italy and France; while in England, landscapes more often formed the background for portraits, especially of wealthy landowners.

Jacob van Ruisdael (Dutch 1628-1682), Road trough Grain Fields near the Zuider Zee, ca. 1660-1662, oil on canvas, 17½ x 21½ in. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid Inv. no. 357 (1934.18).

After the Renaissance, religious art slowly fell out of favor, in part due to the Protestant Reformation, which shifted artists’ focus to more secular themes and patrons. This trend continued throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, as a new romanticism emphasizing subjectivity, individualism and an appreciation for nature took hold of the collective imagination—eventually elevating landscape painting to the highly regarded, autonomous genre it is today.

Artists on both sides of the Atlantic were responsible for radically shifting the widely held perception of landscape painting as a secondary art form. French painters in the Barbizon School were establishing a landscape tradition that by the late 1860s would blossom into one of the most influential movements of the century—impressionism.

In the early part of the 19th century, landscape painting was also beginning to dominate American art. The Hudson River School artists, led by Thomas Cole (1801-48) and Asher B. Durand (1796-1886), with followers such as Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900) and Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), embraced the romantic viewpoint and created idealized visions of the country from Upstate New York to the epic terrain of the American West. Working on a massive scale to emphasize the grandeur of the natural world, many of these artists promoted the country as a vast, unspoiled wilderness of abundance and promise—Thomas Moran’s paintings helped persuade Congress to create the first national park in 1872—while others, like Bierstadt, created works that emphasized the fearsome force of nature.

Top: Blue Rain Gallery, In the Corner of Dreams, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 60 in., by Dale Terbush.; Blue Rain Gallery, Like Music to My Eyes, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 20 in., by Dale Terbush. Bottom: Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Disturbed Seas, oil, 32 x 28 in., by Kimball Geisler; Altamira Fine Art, Springs Welcome, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in., by Robert Moore.

By the beginning of the 20th century, romantic renderings of the landscape were being replaced by themes of urbanization, industry and a nostalgia for simpler times. In the 1920s, the Ashcan School, led by Robert Henri, focused on the gritty reality of city life; while in the ‘30s, regionalist painters like Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton focused on Midwest scenes of rural and agrarian life.

Modernists, influenced by the avant-garde European artists, again approached landscapes in innovative ways. Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) gained international recognition for her meticulous paintings of her floral and desert-inspired landscapes, which she distilled into fluid, organic forms. Marsden Hartley (1877-1943) and John Marin (1870-1953) captured Maine’s rugged coastline and churning seas with bold, vigorous brushstrokes. Precisionists like Charles Sheeler, Ralston Crawford, Charles Demuth and Joseph Stella used soft but tight brushwork to depict the clean lines and blocky forms of the new industrial landscape. Edward Hopper applied a looser painterly style to both urban and rural landscapes; while the reductive style of artists like Milton Avery presaged works by abstract impressionists like Mark Rothko.

In the remainder of this section, galleries, artists and arts organizations showcase contemporary landscape paintings and reflect futher on this timeless genre.

Top: Asher Brown Durand (1796-1886), The Beeches, 1845, oil on canvas, 603/8 x 48 /8 in. Bequest of Maria DeWitt Jesup, from the collection of her husband, Morris K. Jesup, 1914, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.; Marsden Hartley (1877-1943), Landscape, Vence, 1925-1926, oil on canvas, 251/2 x 317/8 in. Bequest of Hudson D. Walker from the Ione and Hudson D. Walker Collection, Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN. Bottom: Altamira Fine Art, Continuations, Autumn, oil on linen panel, 40 x 60 in., by David Grossman.

Dale Terbush’s landscapes at Blue Rain Gallery, in Durango, Colorado, transcend the physical and enter the realm of the emotional and spiritual. “His work is less about recreating a place and more about evoking feelings of awe, wonder and a world just beyond our reach,” says gallery director, Leah Garcia. “Terbush doesn’t just capture light; he dramatizes it, making the skies shimmer and the mountains glow with a kind of internal fire. His scenes might seem familiar at first glance, but they’re entirely imagined dreamscapes born from a rich inner world. At Blue Rain Gallery’s Durango location, we are thrilled to present these cinematic visions. Each piece invites the viewer to pause, reflect and be transported. There’s something profoundly uplifting in Terbush’s use of color and light. It’s romantic, timeless and uniquely Terbush. His paintings are reminders that beauty can still surprise us, that the natural world is filled with magic if we choose to see it.”

Top: Altamira Fine Art, Rift Valley - Rain Across the Gorge, oil on panel, 30 x 30 in., by Jivan Lee; Giacobbe-Fritz Fine Art, Change of Weather, oil on canvas, 40 x 30 in., by Bruce Cascia. Bottom: Dimitrina Kutriansky, Summer Sonata, oil on canvas, 8 x 20 in.

Blue Rain Gallery is presenting new works by the artist in a show titled Two Sides to Terbush, from September 4 through 25. An artist reception, in conjunction with the Durango Gallery Walk, will be held September 19 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Altamira Fine Art is proud to represent landscape artists whose work speaks to both place and presence. “For David Grossmann, landscapes are vessels for memory—his soft, minimalist compositions distill light and form to evoke an emotional geography,” says Jason Williams, gallery owner. “Jivan Lee approaches nature with a visceral immediacy, using thick impasto and bold color to capture the fleeting energy of the land in real time. Robert Moore’s layered, expressive paintings are rooted in his deep connection to the Snake River Plain, where he interprets the vastness of the West with vibrant, unexpected palettes. While each artist engages with landscape differently, they share a reverence for the natural world and a commitment to translating its rhythms into paint. Their works are not simply depictions of terrain—they are meditations on time, perception and the enduring beauty of the American West.”

When collecting landscapes, Williams says to “trust your emotional response. A great landscape painting doesn’t just depict a place—it transports you. Look for work that invites repeated viewing, that grows richer the longer you live with it. Collecting this genre is about finding that unique resonance between artist, land and viewer.”

Each year, the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA) transforms Laguna Beach into a vibrant outdoor studio. Thirty of the nation’s most acclaimed plein air artists gather to capture Laguna’s iconic landscapes, competing for top awards and upholding a century-old artistic tradition that helped to establish Laguna Beach as an artists colony. The 27th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational, presented October 4 through 12, culminates in the exclusive Collectors Gala pARTy at the Festival of Arts grounds on Saturday, October 11.

Top: Blue Rain Gallery, Twilight at the Edge of the World, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30 in., by Dale Terbush; Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Looking for Shade, oil, 14 x 18 in., by Carl Bretzke. Bottom: Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Salinas Valley Spring, oil, 18 x 24 in., by Mason Williams; Anne Johann, Kaaterskill Falls and Pool, oil on panel, 40 x 32 in.

“Imagine being among the first to view and acquire a plein air masterpiece before the public,” says Bonnie Langner, LPAPA’s executive director. “This beloved event offers a rare chance to connect with Laguna’s artistic legacy, meet the creators and witness their inspiration firsthand.” The LPAPA Gallery, located on Gallery Row, hosts a special preview exhibition from September 4 to October 11, featuring available paintings to be published in this year’s Invitational catalogue produced exclusively for this year’s event.

At Giacobbe-Fritz Fine Art, find work by artists Bruce Cascia and Justin Wheatley, who offer two distinct yet complementary visions of the American landscape—one rooted in cinematic realism, the other in abstracted geometry. Together, their work reveals the emotional and structural complexity of place. Cascia captures expansive skies, isolated structures, and charged moments of stillness with photographic clarity and a sense of quiet drama. Wheatley, by contrast, deconstructs the landscape into planes, lines and rhythms, inviting viewers to consider how memory, architecture and space intersect. This pairing invites reflection on how we perceive and internalize the land—both as a physical reality and a psychological terrain. Viewed side-by-side they offer a powerful meditation on solitude, identity and the enduring pull of place.

Giacobbe-Fritz Fine Art, Days of Thunder, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in., by Bruce Cascia

When collecting landscape art, gallery owner Deborah Fritz says to “choose works that stir something personal—emotion, memory or longing. Look beyond realism; the most powerful pieces often whisper rather than shout. Invest in what moves you, not just what matches your wall.”

From the beach to the mountains to the California and Italian vineyards, there are some beautiful landscape pieces to be found at J Watson Fine Art,with locations in California and Wyoming. Artist Matt Smith specializes in plein air paintings. His works have been included in many museum shows. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and at an early age he moved to Arizona where he developed his lifelong connection to the Sonoran Desert and the great outdoors. This was a connection that would eventually influence his decision to paint the landscape.

Giacobbe-Fritz Fine Art, Down South, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 in., by Justin Wheatley.

“June Carey has won awards for her art and has had gallery shows which have sold out all available works,” adds gallery owner, Joanne Watson. “She spent a lot of time with her camera taking photos up and down the coast trying to capture the light she loved. It was on one of those trips she discovered the California wine country in all the glory of a late summer afternoon light. G. Harvey was a beloved Texas artist who painted many landscapes especially early in his career. Although he continued to paint some landscapes in later years, he also painted many Westerns and turn of the century city scenes. His paintings of the Texas hill country and bluebonnets are some of his most sought-after landscapes. His art has been widely collected and is prominent collections.”

Dimitrina Kutriansky, Waiting for the Storm, oil on canvas, 12 x 48 in.

The Trippe Gallery is pleased to exhibit the picturesque landscape oil paintings by award winning artist Christine Lashley. “Inspired by the close relationship between water and land, I created my painting Summer Light,” says the artist. “The scene had captivated me during a plein air trip to Plein Air Easton the year before, embedding itself in my memory as a motif worth exploring further. In the field, I was struck by how the clouds echoed the rounded forms of the trees, even as the sky changed constantly. The shoreline’s dominant line was subtly softened by slight shifts in shape and pattern. In the distance, a vibrant sunflower field added an element of excitement, prompting me to set down my gear and make an on-the-spot study.”

Anne Johann, Ripples, Eddies, and Reflections, watercolor, 22 x 30 in.

Artist Anne Johann’s training in art was in figurative work and then portraiture. “But I felt a great peace being in nature; I knew my focus was painting the natural world,” she shares. “I grew up in New York’s Hudson Valley surrounded by the sublime landscape, which inspired the painters of the Hudson River School, and I adopted their emphasis on our union with nature. Nature’s subtle nuances of color and light inspire me, and the ephemeral forces of nature add a dramatic element. Water has long been a fascination for me and is almost always included in my work.”

“Landscapes bring the beauty or essence of nature into your daily life. They offer memories of a place or convey a sense of peace," says Johann. "They enhance your living or office space by creating an inspiring, enriching environment. Original art has a presence; buy work that you love and you will have the greatest satisfaction.”

Sandy Bridgewater, Purple Sage, oil on canvas, 12 x 24 in.

Dimitrina Kutriansky coined the term romantic naturalism to describe the philosophy and style behind her landscapes—paintings that do more than depict; they evoke. “Rooted in the precision of the naturalist tradition, and imbued with the emotion and atmosphere of romanticism, my work seeks to bridge the observable and the ineffable,” the artist notes. “It is an approach shaped by years of studying nature firsthand and drawn from a deep reverence for artists like the Peredvizhniki, the Hudson River School painters and the Dutch masters, whose works were rich in both detail and spirit. In my paintings, realism serves not merely to record, but to heighten sensitivity; to reveal the poetry inherent in moss-covered rocks, shifting skies or morning mist along a riverbank. I often begin with scenes witnessed or remembered, then recompose them through a personal lens—guided by memory and feeling. The goal is not to replicate nature, but to respond to it; to create images that awaken a quiet recognition in the viewer—a sense of having been there or wished to be. Romantic naturalism, then, is not just a style but a way of seeing; where beauty resides not only in the grandeur of the land, but in its quiet, soulful presence.”

Clockwise from top left: Gary Johnson, Aspens, oil on linen, 40 x 40 in.; Katherine Irish, Ephemeral, pastel, 30 x 15 in.; Gary Johnson, The Silence of Dawn, oil on linen, 23 x 36 in.

Sandy Bridgewater is always seeking that split second of the magic that can be found if you slow down time and observe the “in between.” To be in the stillness of a moment and observe the beauty of the world around. Her piece Purple Sage was an amazing spot seemingly in the middle of nowhere, “and in that moment, I noticed and photographed the sunset shining on all the desert plants, while illuminated in that golden haze of light,” she says.

Like so many others in this section, Gary Johnson’s inspiration for being an artist is the natural world, whether it be painting landscapes, wildlife or a combination of both. “My landscape paintings in this issue of American Art Collector are locations that held special inspiration for me,” shares Johnson. “Aspens is a large oil painting of a hillside of aspens in full, fall color in the Rocky Mountains. My goal was to create an abstract looking image even though I’m painting in a realistic manner. The Silence of Dawn is a very special image for me. In preparation for this painting of a pre-sunrise in Yellowstone National Park, I did a field painting that won the Grand Prize Gold Medal in the Arts for the Parkscompetition in 2005, milestone in my career at the time.”

Top: Katherine Irish, Midsummer Monsoon, pastel, 18 x 36 in.; Greivin A. Salas, Deforestation, acrylic, 31½ x 31½ in. Bottom: J Watson Fine Art, Rocky Coastline, oil on linen board, 9 x 12 in., by Matt Smith; Denise J. Howard, Tree of Tenacity, colored pencil on Stonehenge paper, 15 x 20 in.

Also in this issue, you can find Johnson’s painting Cascade Splendor. “I recently moved to the Pacific Northwest, and this is my first major painting of the area,” he adds. Find Johnson’s work at Going to the Sun Gallery in Whitefish, Montana, and Oregon Coast Galleries in Florence, Oregon.

“When I returned to the Southwest, I made a conscious decision to contribute beauty through my art,” says artist Katherine Irish.“I joined the league of landscape painters who relish a connection with the natural world. When I paint from nature, I am attempting to convey an emotional experience inspired by the land and skies, and I find deep inspiration from New Mexico landscapes, including the beautiful cobalt skies, marked by everchanging clouds; the brilliant ochres, rusts and greens found in miles of open land. Sunsets incorporate many abstract patterns as well as beautiful layers of color. The visual drama of skies offers information about the exchange between earth, air, fire and water—sacred elements for many cultures. Skies are a window to a presence, much larger than we are. Stars and planets remind us that there are mysteries and a larger existence.” Irish hopes to call attention to the extraordinary visual gift our world provides when she paints a New Mexico sky.

Top: J Watson Fine Art, Vineyard, oil on canvas, 20 x 30 in., by June Carey; J Watson Fine Art, Quiet Reflections, oil on board, 12 x 9 in., by G. Harvey. Bottom: The Trippe Gallery, Summer Light, oil on linen, 18 x 24 in., by Christine Lashley; Greivin A. Salas, Seasons Change, acrylic, 27½ x 39 in.

About her piece Tree of Tenacity, Denise J. Howard says, “This mighty oak uses all its powers to hold together the earth as it erodes from beneath it, while simultaneously supporting its wide canopy of heavy limbs. It embodies a metaphor for the tenacity we need to have in our own lives to prevent the worst from happening. My tree series celebrates such special trees for how their life experiences are manifested in their bark, limbs, knots, burls, holes and roots. They respond to their environment by adapting. Humans do too, likewise, in quicker but less obvious ways. So, these trees become visual metaphors for human experiences. I include a lot of detail to pull the viewer in for contemplation.”

When collecting, Howard says, “Look for landscape art that is more than a ‘pretty picture.’ What does a piece say to you about the environment, the world, humanity, yourself? Above and beyond style, subject and technique are opportunities for metaphor and meaning to inspire joy or personal reflection.”

Greivin A. Salas is an emerging Costa Rican artist who expresses an intense feeling for the beauty, bounty and mystery of the landscape of his country. Raised in the natural setting of the rural countryside near the Arenal Volcano in San Carlos, bounded by rivers, forests, animals, plants and commercial horticulture, his work reflects a unique interpretation of his close connection with the natural world he was born into. His subjects have included equestrian portraits, farm scenes, abstract and representational portraits of nature and rural Costa Rica.

Ken Elliott, Cadmium Running Through, oil on canvas, 30 x 36 in.; Greivin A. Salas, Lean on Me, acrylic, 31½ x 43 in.

Salas' work was recently on view at the Sophia Wanamaker Gallery in the Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center, located in Los Yoses, San José. Through Connecting the Roots, the artist once again merges artistic creation and his enduring commitment to Mother Earth, calling for people to “reconnect” and contribute to its care and preservation. The exhibition consisted of 27 pieces in small, medium and large formats using an acrylic technique.

Ken Elliott’s landscapes are not about recreating nature—they’re about distilling it, amplifying it and responding to it in a deeply personal way. “Nature is the starting point, but once in the studio, I allow spontaneity, bold choices and even so-called ‘mistakes’ to guide the work,” he says. “I’m not interested in telling stories or documenting a place. Instead, I chase the emotional essence of the scene—the pulse of color, the stillness beneath movement, the tension between serenity and strength. I want my paintings to have muscle and poetry; a quiet intensity that grabs you gently but doesn’t let go. The influence of artists like Wolf Kahn taught me that fearless color can evoke an entirely new emotional landscape, and that’s what I strive for—something familiar yet heightened, like nature reimagined. When the ideas run dry, I return to nature, where endless variations and inspirations are always waiting. Each piece becomes less about the place itself and more about what the place makes me feel.” —