Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why?
By Tracy Schruder
I have always been drawn by the mysterious allure of the mountains. Unlike many people, I’ve never been one to spend copious amounts of time on the beach; the mountains serenade me in a language that’s both primal and soothing.
My fascination with mountains began when I first started painting. I was learning how to paint with oil paints using a Bob Ross tutorial. I was able to create my very first mountain scene oil painting. (Picture above)
I felt a warm nudge inside my chest and I knew, I was hooked – the process of bringing a mountain landscape to life on canvas was exhilarating.
I went on to paint several more ‘imaginary’ mountain scenes, but I soon realized they lacked a certain je ne sais quoi. When I tried to sell them at art shows, customers would ask about the location or inspiration, and I’d confess they were born from my imagination – solely created from intellectual inspiration. Sadly, no one seemed to want to pay for a piece of my mind. It was then that I understood – art connoisseurs crave authenticity, a sense of place that only comes from witnessing nature’s beauty firsthand, in a way that can only be understood by the artist and speculated about by the buyers. This is what made buying artworks so much fun.
As I continued to hone my craft, my fascination with the mountains only grew. I began to dream of visiting the Klondike mountains, Kilimanjaro, and Mount Shasta – of walking down dusty trails forged by gold miners, of breathing in the crisp, moist air, and tasting the sweetness of wild freshwater streams.
I long to stand amidst a sea of mountain pines, awestruck by the majesty of nature’s curves and dips, with a blanket of Christmas green stretching as far as the eye can see.
In time, I will trade my easel for a more adventurous companion – a fold-away easel and trusty metal painting case, with which I’ll venture into the mountains, painting en plein air, soaking up the sights, sounds, and scents of these majestic giants.
Until then, I’ll continue to draw inspiration from the images I find online and the stories I hear from others, but I know that nothing will compare to the thrill of painting the mountains, in situ, with all my senses ablowing.
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