The vibrant images of Douglas Aagard’s landscapes radiate a joy that conveys his love for everything from flaming red and gold leaves in the fall to the azure blue of a meandering stream to the lushness of a mountain valley. He loves it all and captures it brilliantly.

The 54-year-old artist was born in Utah but grew up near Corvallis, Montana, in the shadow of the Bitterroot Mountains. “Evenings were my favorite time of day because I could watch the changing colors of the valley as the sun set behind the mountains,” he says. During summers at his grandparents’ sheep ranch, young Aagard helped to care for the animals, which included a flock of more than 1,000 sheep, and explored nearby wildness areas.

“Because my genre is landscapes, and farm life is familiar, I do a lot of pastoral scenes that often include barns and some livestock,” he says. “However, I guess my favorite subject is aspens because they remind me of being with my grandfather when we were working with the sheep.”

Read the full article in the July/August 2022 issue.

Mountain Valley Barn

Oil
32″ by 56″

“Autumn is in the air. Most of the leaves have fallen on the higher part of the mountain. I love how the softened background really pushes the barn forward and emphasizes the shape. With the young cows, an old hay derrick, and a large haystack, there’s a bit of a story.”

Sterling Evening

Oil
40″ by 60″

“As the sun gets low in the evening, the hills that were once not so interesting turn to a nice blue that sets off this large cottonwood and brings the yellow to life.”