Aaron Schuerr

My art is borne out of my struggle to absorb, comprehend, and understand the natural world. I’m overwhelmed, and yet I can’t tear myself away. And so I paint, so as to stand there for just a little longer.

And then I return to the studio and paint something bigger, in order to digest what I’ve experienced while painting in the field. And then I take that frightening step: I invite the viewer to add his or her own story to it. At the sight of a beautiful sunset we instinctively turn to the person next to us, be it friend or stranger, to see if they are looking too. And if they are, we feel a kinship with them.

No two people experience a sunset in the same way, and yet we can experience it together. Though painting is largely a solitary endeavor, it is never a lonely one, because I am invited to share in the ineffable mystery of beauty. And that is where the art is.

Briefly, I am an artist, writer, actor, husband, and father of three wonderful boys. It all gets mixed up until the distinctions are blurred, as they should be. The heart of my work is in the outdoors, absorbing the pattern of light on the landscape. Actors speak of “being in the moment” immersing themselves so totally in story that everything else falls away.

The open air is my stage, and in the best moments, I am lost in it. I have no desire to impress you with these paintings. Rather, I strive to share my experience with honesty and without fear.