“Back Country Brights” by Stephanie von Neudegg

Stephanie writes:

I am Stephanie von Neudegg, a landscape artist born, raised, and currently based in Banff, Alberta. I grew up hiking through meadows and skiing fast. The vibrance of the mountains has always been one of my greatest thrills – the warm glow of a sunset on a glacier, a small patch of alpine flowers, a storm rolling over a distant range, or the glisten of mica in a stone. The abundance of colours found in the mountains of home have always captivated my attention.

Painting has always come with me, but became a substantial part of my life in 2015. “Backcountry Brights” is a collection of important scenes that have captured my heart between the Bow Valley and the Bugaboos. This series is dedicated to my Grandpa – who gave us our home in the mountains.

My work is inspired by the boldness of the mountains. I choose my palettes to exaggerate the colours in nature, or to offer a new mood to a familiar scene. With depictions of the Rockies being so numerous, I work to achieve something fresh and adventurous for the viewer. I paint the brilliance of my home ranges through careful abstraction, while still maintaining accuracy in the shape and structure of a landscape.

It’s amazing that the rocks, plants, and incredible hues of the Rocky Mountains have simply sprung from the earth here. Each petal in a meadow knows to fill itself with pigment as it blooms. I create with a wild palette to reflect those colours. It is my hope that my art encourages the viewer to get outside and enjoy this magic too.