On a hot July day in Livingston, Montana, landscape artist Aaron Schuerr took a much needed break. Work during the past month and a half—well, really the past year—had found him scrambling to keep up with his projects. A major one was a painting for the grand opening of the Illume Gallery West in Phillipsburg, Montana. Schuerr did, however, make time to join other grand opening artists in painting at the ranch that gallery owners, Jane Lundgren and her husband Mark, own.

Schuerr does what he loves and loves what he does. But there’s more to the man than creating wonderful paintings. He’s a self-described artist, writer, actor, husband, and father of three sons. “It all gets mixed up until the distinctions are blurred, as they should be,” he says. “The heart of my work is in the outdoors, absorbing the pattern of light on the landscape.”

In July, he was also working feverishly to complete his new studio by the end of the month. The reason for the rush was that he was to be a featured painter at VisionX Live, a three-day virtual conference for artists and, as a keynote presenter, was working to present a live, work-along landscape painting session.

Read the full article in the November/December 2022 issue.

Beartooth High Country

Oil
24″ by 30″

“In 2020, I embarked on a six-day solo painting trek from west to east over the Beartooth Mountains in Montana. Covering 26 miles, I painted where the muse called and threw a sleeping bag down wherever I ended up. Though there are grander lakes en route, this little pond in the morning light was my favorite spot on the hike. This studio painting resulted from studies and sketches from the trip.”

Prelude To A Storm

Oil
16″ by 20″

“For five years I participated in The Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational every February. The fist year I met a wonderful artist couple who rented a place in Hana. They invited me to come stay with them, so every year before the festival I’d paint with them on the east side of the island. One afternoon in 2019, William and I walked down to the coast to paint. The surf was up, and the waves were enormous. I spent the first half hour taking pictures and videos and just trying not to jump out of my skin in excitement! Just as I was about to set up my easel, the sky unleashed its full fury, and we were drenched. I was disappointed not to be able to paint the big waves that day, but I was able to work this one out in the studio a year later.”