Landscape paintings portray the scenes of the natural world that are treated as the subject of the work of art rather than the element or background of a painting. The tradition and need for painting landscape and genre scenes of everyday life in Dutch and Flemish art grew to cater to popular taste after 1550. The demand for landscapes in art continues to this day.

The horse in landscape transcends the appreciation of landscape painting alone. The landscape may dominate the scene, but the horse, rather than incidental, is central to the essence of the painting. The horse in landscape appeals to our desire to escape from civilization, connect to nature and its perceived harmony with man and beast.

Artist William St.George of Boston, Massachusetts, paints in oils and exhibits his landscapes and other subjects at his own St.George Gallery on Newbury Street in Boston. His artwork includes an extensive collection of equine paintings that are bold and colorful.

In his oil painting titled Cheval, we hear the soft splash as the horses peacefully descend down the meadow into the small body of water. St.George has heightened the dramatic lighting and the pastoral scene is suffused with the hazy luminous atmosphere of late afternoon. The space expands serenely, rather than distinctly receding step by step to create a vision of nature that is gentle and enchanting. St.George's firmly constructed ideal landscape delivers a harmonious, naturalistic impression of the scenery at hand.

Western art has a strong tradition of landscape. Artist Vel Miller, in an article titled The West Lives On, gives some insight to the appeal of western art. "The West Lives On... not just in the heart of the cowboy roping a calf or an Indian chasing a buffalo. It lives in all of us. It's the hardships and the rewards. It's the wonder of the latest crop of calves or colts, or just the evening light shining across a meadow." The implied closeness to the earth, and the idyllic dreams of expansive wide open spaces are wrapped up in the attraction to the western art landscape.

In painting, Vel Miller concentrates on the more emotional view of the West. Vel says, "The most rugged and strongest people I¹'e known have also been the kindest and most loving. This is the feeling I try to portray. I want the person who views my work to see something they have experienced themselves, or to feel a mood that brings them happiness." Miller creates the mood with soft light and warm color.

Taken by the majestic landscapes of Montana, Diane Hausmann started painting en plein aire. Living near the mountains seems to be the best access to many stunning vistas and subjects to paint. Watercolor has been her main medium, but Hausmann has expanded to oil painting to create her equine and landscape paintings.

Robert Kelsch of Lakeside, California, has worked in graphics and design. His favorite subjects for painting are people, horses and landscapes. He often travels to remote areas of the western United States and Canada to capture scenic terrain. Kelsch comments, "I am a colorist and designer. Nifty color schemes and exciting shapes are what keep me painting. I am always thinking about new ideas for compositions."

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