Jake Gaedtke has told this story before, but it’s worth retelling because of the impact it had on his life. When he was in second grade, Gaedtke and his classmates took a field trip to a museum in Detroit, Michigan, where he was so mesmerized by the paintings there that he lost track of the rest of his class. He eventually found them— and he found his destiny.

“That was when the angel of art tapped me on the shoulder,” Gaedtke recalls. “Looking at those paintings, I knew that was what I wanted to do.”

It would take some time—and a few detours—but Gaedtke eventually found his way to a career as a fine artist. Today, living just outside the city limits of Bozeman, Montana, he spends his days painting the natural beauty of the world, from roaring ocean waves to snow-covered riverbanks to mysterious night scenes. Doing so feeds his soul in a way nothing else has—or could.

Read the full article in the November/December 2020 issue.

Clear Waters

Oil

14” by 32”

“This painting is of a secluded spot at Taggart Lake in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The water there is clean and clear and absolutely breathtaking. When I paint up there, I find my soul refreshed and cleansed, especially in the early morning or early evening. I was attracted to the variety of greens in this composition.”

In the Still of the Night

Oil

16” by 20”

“Music is the invisible art, and I sometimes find myself using song titles as the titles for my paintings. Many times a scene will remind me of a certain song or musical piece. This painting is of the Sierras from the short time we lived in California. I love transitions in a painting. From near to far, warm to cool, light to dark, etc., I tried to utilize many transitions in this painting.”