The Landscape Sense

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

The Trout Stream Oil John F. Carlson

“We must not imitate the externals of nature with so much fidelity that the picture fails to evoke that wonderful teasing recurrence of emotion that marks the contemplation of a work of art.” - John F. Carlson

Among the top ten art instruction books in any painter’s library should be the classic, Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting by John F. Carlson. With the resurgence of interest in traditional representational painting, the lessons that Carlson teaches are again highly valued by painters for their timeless insights into the mysteries of plein air painting and making art. Of the many different volumes in our library that teach painting, none surpass Carlson’s publication in organization, clarity and revelation. His Guide to Landscape Painting was originally published in 1929 and has been repeatedly republished through 1973.

Originally written as a book for beginners, it is actually much, much more than that.…