Artist Q&A | Landscape in Art

To further introduce the people behind the paintings in our upcoming show Landscape in Art: The Continuum VII opening Friday, February 19, we posed the following question to the show's five nationally exhibiting landscape artists:

What draws you to paint a particular landscape?

Michael Knoch's response

"Landscape offers a painter 'variation on a theme;' a theme seasoned with color and compositions structured by location. I paint where I live... where the better part of one's spirit resides... a kingdom within, a wealth of lands..."

David Harlan's response

"It is always a visual response to a subject. The interesting composition and the way the light creates the desire to capture that particular scene. The difficulty is simplifying the subject because there is an overwhelming amount of information and our eyes see it all.

The challenge then is to capture the essence and state it in such a way that the viewer responds favorably to the image. The best way to paint a landscape is to be there on location- plein aire painting. Often the weather does not cooperate so the camera comes into play, but having been there, feeling the mood, remembering the moment helps when painting in the studio."

Karen Hagan's response

"Dreams of journeys to come...For me with this small painting it was all about my thoughts of adventures to come...I'm teaching a class at Lake Garda this September and this painting is a reaching out to new vistas as I study and learn about this area of Italy, loll over photos from our hosts who go there every year and savor the excitement of a new (to me) landscape. This particular scene had it all...water, mountains, distant boats and billowing clouds...it's the ultimate escape!"

Pamela Rogers' response

"Painting on location is for me, a meditation on the beauty of our world and life. While viewing a scene that captures my heart - during the quiet concentration involved in capturing what I see and feel, those moments become charged with brilliance and wonder, and all else is forgotten. I choose watercolor for most landscapes, as that medium tends to best allow for the spontaneity of living fully, and with great joy, in the moment."

David Nance's response

"The landscape as a subject can provide hours of observations, light can transform what you see in an instant. The challenge and what draws me to painting is how this series of brush strokes and color combinations can evoke a feeling of what I am experiencing. I love the outdoors and always look for new ways to express my views."