These three artists in particular have informed my landscapes in oil since 2005. Their work provides inspiration to be watchful, to notice various shades of color and shadow, and somehow automatically compose images in my mind as if the scene were “the next painting”. I work primarily from photos, which has both its advantages and disadvantages. Though content with most outcomes, I will always be seeking a looser, more expressive approach. Over the past five years there is already a change in the ways those expressions reveal themselves.

Each artist has their own reasons for seeking out national parks in which to create their works. Most professional artists create their work beyond the pale of mere representation or a simple record in that their perspective and vision of the world are somehow wrapped up in each painting. The expression of deep inner feelings is somehow inextricably linked to putting the scene on canvas, often conveying what it is like to be there, viewing the grand scene before them, the crashing of waves, the silent forest, the sting of mosquitoes, the howl of a wolf. And through painted dabs of blue snow, green clouds, or pink reflections, they encourage us to truly see what they see.

I hope my paintings offer a unique perspective on “what makes this place tick” – the natural and cultural history of the Central Upper Peninsula.

Artist/Author Gregg Bruff

The scenes are of old barns and sheds from a once prosperous farming era, beached fish tugs from the time when commercial fishing was a lucrative business, and of course cliffs, waterfalls, and rivers, one with a family of trumpeter swans gliding quietly along.

Right: Spring Freshet by Gregg Bruff

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