Psychedelic landscape paintings like those by Lake Tahoe-based artist Phyllis Shafer capture the spirit of the Sierra Nevada Mountains uniquely and vibrantly. Known for her plein air style, Shafer uses oil paints to bring the mountains, lakes, and forests of the American West to life with vivid color and dynamic energy. Rather than striving for photorealism, she embraces a surreal approach, using twisted perspectives to evoke the emotional essence of the landscape. Shafer, who grew up in upstate New York surrounded by nature, credits her rural upbringing for her deep connection to the land. Her move to Lake Tahoe allowed her to further develop her love for plein air painting, as she dedicated her summers to immersing herself in the natural beauty of the Sierra Nevada.
Shafer’s paintings blend realistic observation with imaginative, dreamlike elements. Her skies swirl, trees bend in unexpected ways, and flowers grow to an almost fantastic scale. Each piece seems to dance between the natural world and a surreal vision of it. One striking example is her painting Flicker’s Ascent, where the landscape appears distorted as if viewed through a fish-eye lens, and giant birds fill the sky. Drawing inspiration from both nature and 20th-century American Modernists like Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood, Shafer’s work reflects the bold, expressive style of artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Charles Burchfield while infusing it with her contemporary twist.
