Aaron Schuerr

By LatAm ARTE

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. Aaron Schuerr takes plein air painting to the next level. He has embarked on extended solo painting treks across the Grand Canyon and over mountain ranges of his home state of Montana. He gets confused when people talk about a “plein air season.” In his experience there are four, winter being his favorite- despite deep snow, cold fingers, and blinding light. His other love is painting barefoot on the beach, which also involves staring into blinding light but doesn’t involve grizzly bears. Schuerr was a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show and wonders if it was the only time plein air painting was ever discussed on a daytime talk show. When invited, he responded, “I should probably know who Kelly Clarkson is, shouldn’t I?” Apparently, she’s famous. Clarkson introduced him as Bob Ross 2.0. Schuerr is not sure how he feels about this. His work has been featured in numerous publications, some expected, like Plein Air Magazine and Southwest Art. Some unexpected, like The Daily Telegraph and The Times of London. Schuerr is a frequent contributing writer to The Pastel Journal and The Artist Magazine . The instructional video, “Winter Sunset in Pastel” was recently released by Streamline Publishing, and he has a second video, “Alpine Landscape in Oil,” in production. When he’s not out shivering behind the easel and wondering about his life choices, he is also a stage actor, poet, and CrossFit Coach.

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Aaron Schuerr