Briscoe Western Art Museum, Low Clouds and Long Shadows, oil on linen, 20 x 35”, by G. Russell Case.

For many Western artists working today, the natural lands of the continent hold the same sway over them as they did over Muir. These are lands that evoke peace and rest, majesty and awe, thrills and adventure. Or, as Katherine Manthorne writes in Picturing the Americas: Landscape Painting from the Tierra del Fuego to the Arctic, nature is what we make it: “Land is terrain, a physical entity; landscape is a cultural construct. Terrain becomes landscape when people project their hopes, desires and memories onto it.”

Nathanael Volckening, Soaring Gaze, oil on panel, 16 x 20” 

Another artist doing exciting work in the genre of landscape painting is Nathanael Volckening. The Colorado painter grew up in Taos, New Mexico, and prominently features Northern New Mexico in his work. “My current work depicts sublime landscapes imbued with figural qualities, creating a humanistic drama worthy of our care and attention,” he writes. “With this work, I hope to reinvigorate our appreciation and sense of interconnectedness with the land.” Volckening is represented by Parsons Gallery of the West in Taos, but will also be showing work at this year’s La Luz de Taos, hosted by the Couse-Sharp Historic Site this summer. 

Top: Blue Rain Gallery, 5th and 38, oil on canvas, 12 x 12”, by Deladier Almeida; Legacy Gallery, Evening Over the Foothills, oil, 24 x 20”, by Matt Smith. Bottom: Naomi Brown, Sunrise at the Dunes, oil on board, 9 x 12”

Naomi Brown is an artist who has been quickly rising in the art world due to her stunning images of the Southwest, particularly her paintings in the Mojave Desert and at Joshua Tree National Park. “Inspiration is so important when deciding different subjects for my paintings. I enjoy feeling inspired daily with my surroundings. I try to stop and take the time to acknowledge the changing scenery as I go about my day, whether it’s when I am driving or out feeding my animals in the morning and evening,” she says. “All the subtle changes in the colors of the sky or different cloud formations. These are important building blocks that I use when I sit down in my studio to work on a painting. I paint most of my paintings in my studio and use reference photos and knowledge of living in the desert my whole life. I am looking forward to getting out of my comfort zone and doing some plein air paintings.” Brown will also be showing new work at this year’s Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona. The show opens March 22 and runs through September 1.

Top: Naomi Brown, Stormy Sky, oil on canvas, 30 x 48”; Naomi Brown, Sundown at Kofa Mountain, oil on board, 10 x 8”. Bottom: Legacy Gallery, Monument Valley Morning, oil on linen, 15 x 24”, by Robert Peters; Legacy Gallery, Boulder Cascade, oil, 30 x 40”, by Mark Boedges. 

Another show opening in March is Western Horizons at Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona. The ticketed show will be held March 1 and 2, with programming at the Scottsdale gallery and also at nearby Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. The show will present more than 100 works from 35 artists, including top landscape painters such as Josh Elliott, Mark Boedges, G. Russell Case, Scott Christensen, Brent Cotton, Phil Epp, Jerry Jordan, Robert Peters, Curt Walters and others. Even the name itself, Western Horizons, is derived from the landscape of the region. In addition to the art sale, events include an artist interview with John and Terri Kelly Moyers, a John Coleman clay demonstration, a museum tour, a dinner and much more. The full schedule and information is on the gallery’s website. 

 Colt Idol, October Haul, oil, 30 x 40”; Dale Terbush, Hold onto the Moment, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40”

Montana painter Colt Idol had a phenomenal 2023, and has already hit a brisk stride in 2024 with new shows, new exhibitions and impressive new work from his studio. His painting Golden Waters will be available to bidders at The Russell in Great Falls, Montana, from March 14 to 16. He also has works available through his own gallery, Dick Idol Signature Gallery, as well as at Coeur d’Alene Galleries, Legacy Gallery, Mountain Trails Gallery and Illume Gallery West. “As an artist, I get inspiration easily and often. Sometimes from just looking out my window, sometimes from a memory, sometimes from a song,” Idol says. “Lately, I’ve been really leaning into trying to capture high drama and mood. You can have drama sometimes without movement, I like to create drama in a static scene with color, light and value.”

Colt Idol, Wonder of the West, oil, 48 x 72”

“Art is an artist’s own private language,” says Dale Terbush, another artist whose work is adding excitement to the landscape genre. Terbush works very quickly with gestural brushstrokes that capture the mood of a scene and the intense color of the light. “When an artist is creating from their heart, they are in the moment and they are speaking to themselves the language of their own creativity. When they are finished, it is not that they wish to be by everyone, but more so that they wish to be understood…understood by those that truly feel what they were trying to say while they were in the moment, creating. The creation of art whether it be painting, sculpting, music or whatever, is a very personal process and, in the end, all the artist ever asks, is ‘Can you understand me?’”

Clockwise from top left: Colt Idol, Golden Waters, oil, 40 x 72”; Booth Western Art Museum, Desert Sunset, acrylic, 40 x 30”, by Claudia Hartley; Dale Terbush, Dreams of Scarlet Rivers, acrylic on panel, 20 x 24”  

Using thick paint that shows exquisite texture and luscious colors, Brad Teare was drawn to nature from an unlikely source. “When I was 18, I worked a summer building the Pacific Crest Trail. One evening around the campfire, I was overcome by the splendor of the scene—the alpine lakes nestled between massive snow-covered peaks bathed in the sun’s setting rays. I wanted to capture that moment forever. I knew then that landscape painting was my future,” he says. “Through decades of trial and error, I mastered my current impasto style. The technique is challenging, but it is the only means I’ve found to bring the energy and grandeur of nature onto the canvas. I use palette knives exclusively and load each stroke with multiple hues of color. I forgo exact representation. My impressionistic style lets me capture nature’s wildness in spontaneous, rough-hewn color. The paint comes off the knife in thick, rhythmic strokes, giving my work a vibrational and energetic quality.”

Top: Dale Terbush, At the Edge of Heaven, acrylic on canvas, 20 x 24”; King Galleries, Colorado Northbound, oil on canvas, 48 x 60”, by Mike Esch.  Center: Brad Teare, Alpine Radiance, oil on canvas, 48 x 48”; Gallery Wild, Morning Commute, oil on linen, 40 x 30”, by Amber Blazina; Brad Teare, Silent Symphony, oil on canvas, 36 x 36”. Bottom: Brad Teare, Evening Glow, oil on canvas, 36 x 48”; Booth Western Art Museum, Clouds Over Red Rocks, acrylic, 48 x 60”, by Claudia Hartley.

Gallery Wild, with locations in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, shows the work of several top landscape artists, including Caleb Meyer, Amber Blazina and Silas Thompson. “The vast and diverse beauty of the Western landscape has sourced inspiration for artists since the dawn of time. Today, this inspiration transcends mere wonder as these Western landscapes confront the pressing threats of irreversible change and urbanization. The artists at Gallery Wild harness this profound connection to the Western landscape, infusing their work with a conservation perspective that underscores the urgency of preserving these natural treasures,” the gallery notes. “As a contemporary wildlife gallery, Gallery Wild’s unique identity is intrinsically connected to the landscapes these animals call home. Through their art, they not only showcase the magnificent wildlife that inhabits these regions but also emphasize the critical interdependence between these creatures and their environments. The mountains, valleys and plains of the Western landscape are undoubtedly beautiful but they also serve as migratory corridors, food sources and shelter for the unique, wild creatures in the region. Gallery Wild’s selection of landscape painters capture the beauty of the landscape, allowing collectors to bring that beauty into their homes as a daily reminder of the necessity for conservation.”

Top: Booth Western Art Museum, Sedona Crossing, acrylic, 48 x 60”, by Claudia Hartley; Gallery Wild, The Flow, oil on canvas, 48 x 48”, by Caleb Meyer.  Bottom: Gallery Wild, Within the Hall of Gold, oil on canvas, 70 x 94”, by Silas Thompson; King Galleries, Touch Me Not Forever, oil on canvas, 24 x 36”, by Mike Esch.  

Although primarily known for its contemporary Native American pottery, King Galleries has in recent years expanded to include more paintings, including landscape paintings by Mike Esch, who captures the drama of the vast horizons. “My cloudscape and landscape paintings are a way to express how I feel about nature,” he says. “I want to show how striking it is now, and how it may have looked hundreds of years ago. I will paint as realistically as possible to convey an accurate vision of how my mind’s eye sees the world around me. My work is a window into how nature should appear. I want people to see the beauty of the natural world the way that I do, and maybe influence the preservation of unspoiled environments.”

Tehachapi Arts Commission, Alpine Glow, Grinnell Lake, oil on wood panel, 18 x 24”, by Russell Hunziker; Tehachapi Arts Commission, Tranquil Morning, oil on linen, 16 x 20”, by Vicki Pedersen.

Landscape art is one of the key subjects at the Art 2024 exhibition and sale presented by the Tehachapi Arts Commission. Starting in May, more than 50 artists arrive in central California to paint diverse vistas, world-class wineries, lakes, wildlife, waterfalls, quaint urban towns, local cattle ranches and wild Morgan horses. Artists then return to their studios to compile their paintings and submit them for the juried process. This year’s VIP opening will be held July 19, with the public show opening July 20 and 21. Russell Hunziker, one of the participating artists, was also inspired by John Muir as he completed his piece Alpine Glow, Grinnell Lake. “Muir was right when he named the Sierras the Land of Fire and Ice,” he says. “There is nothing that compares to the alpine glow of the setting sun on the ragged peaks of the Sierra Nevada range, especially when the sky and mountains are on fire. The granite peaks take on an orange glow as the sun sets...”

Teresa Lynn Johnson, Serenity of Autumn, oil on canvas, 40 x 20” 

New Mexico-based painter Teresa Lynn Johnson also finds inspiration in Muir. “Painting Life in the landscape, Open my eyes that I may see, the beauty that surrounds you and me! Nature, whatever the season, is always an inspiration to me as an artist. I live and work in the Four Corners region of the United States, thus having access to beautiful Western landscapes,” she says. “The fresh air and beauty of the mountains, the stunning shimmering gold aspens in the fall, the quiet wonder of snow-covered landscapes always fill my soul with peace and fulfillment. I am fortunate to live in an area that allows me access to experience so much diversity of nature in person and cherish the time spent expressing my experiences in paint. I certainly identify with this quote by John Muir: ‘The mountains are calling, and I must go.’”

King Galleries, Mary’s Lake Road, oil on canvas, 48 x 60”, by Mike Esch.  

Beginning March 10, the Phippen Museum in Prescott, Arizona, will present the Arizona Pastel Artists Association’s 8th National Exhibition and Sale. The juried event runs through April 21, with an awards reception on March 23. Past participants in the show include Betsy Menand, Katherine Irish and Kenneth Keith. The Arizona Pastel Artists Association is an international group of artists, including pastelists from across the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. Visitors to the all-pastel exhibition at the Phippen Museum will be treated to 80 pastel paintings which explore the vivid colors of pastels’ pure pigments in a wide range of expression. 

Clockwise from top left:  Teresa Lynn Johnson, Winter Song, oil on linen panel, 11 x 14”; Teresa Lynn Johnson, Perfect Harmony, oil on canvas, 28 x 22”; Phippen Museum, Colorado River at Knowles Overlook, pastel, 24 x 36”, by Betsy Menand;   Tehachapi Arts Commission, It Used To Be, oil on canvas, 24 x 18”, by Donald Towns. 

Dan Knepper, who recently participated in the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale, was asked by an artist why he was at the show, and what led an Ohio boy to begin painting the West? “After the opening [of the Coors show] we spent time in Rocky Mountain National Park, and I had my answer. I got out of my own head. Out of my mind. ‘Home,’” Knepper says. “There is a palpable connection. Somehow the mountains just feel ‘right.’ Calm. Staggeringly beautiful. Pine. Sage. Fresh, crisp snow. Sparkling aspens. Elk and mule deer quietly grazing on golden and russet grasses. I can breathe in the thin air. My mind stops racing about if or how or why—and I just want to paint. I want to stretch those moments into eternity. And live in them.”

Top: Phippen Museum, Dreams, pastel, 12 x 18”, by Katherine Irish.  Bottom: Phippen Museum, Grand Canyon Sunset, pastel, 18 x 24”, by Kenneth Keith; Stephanie Burk, I Can See Clearly Now, acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20”

Hitting 2024 at a run, New Mexico artist Jan DeLipsey has been hard at work preparing for several national museum shows. A collection of her landscapes will be included in the Woolaroc Museum’s Women Artists of the West Invitational Exhibition and Sale, May 4 through August 4. The show will include her pieces Homemade and Canones. Referring to these special pieces, DeLipsey says, “Erosion shapes the layered rock in the mesas and buttes of New Mexico. The subtle color speaks to me. The hand-hewn rails in Homemade captured my heart. This one will be hard to let go of because of the special times I have spent under that tree with people I love. Both paintings speak to beauty wrought from the passage of time.” 

Clockwise from top left: Diane Greenwood, Teton Fall Serenade, oil, 30 x 30”; Darcie Peet, Lavender Twilight, oil, 24 x 24”;   Jan DeLipsey, Homemade, oil, 14 x 18”

Diane Greenwood says her inspiration came from her ongoing love of the vast landscapes and abundant wildlife of Montana and Wyoming. Raised in rural Montana, Greenwood showed an interest in art at an early age. As an adult, her passion for art flourished and she began studying with accomplished artists to hone her skills. Living close to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, she immerses herself in nature’s landscape and wildlife, sketching and painting. Capturing the essence of nature’s moments in light, color, mood and movements is what she hopes to share through her paintings. Greenwood’s works have been represented in national and regional shows and have won numerous awards. “While painting in the Teton Mountains,” she says, “the energy and inspiration was overwhelming, and I could not think of a more suitable name [for this work] than Teton Fall Serenade.”  —