“It gives us a sense of place.”

That’s how Phyllis Shafer describes her own private vision of her landscape paintings.

Shafer’s painting, “Mackerel Sky” has been selected as the TAMC collectible sticker #3 because of its lyrical representation of our communion with nature.

Phyllis Shafer is one of Tahoe’s most distinguished plein air landscape artists.  You may have seen her painting of Mt. Tallac on the side of the Tahoe Plates Tour Bus, or her Yosemite rendering on the new Patagonia organic t-shirts.

Unquestionably, Lake Tahoe and Truckee has a profusion of talented landscape artists and photographers.  Not a surprise when you consider our striking alpine subjects that help us connect with our true character and the essence of this place we call home.

As with each visual artist, Shafer has a style all her own that gives her paintings life and distinction.  Shafer paintings are well known for their whimsical, stylized clouds and enchanting shapes and colors which she deliberately orchestrates to put us in the moment.

Shafer explains her style of painting:

“It’s a marriage between observation and fantasy as if I am balancing on the two ends of a tight rope to capture the essence and vital rhythms that animate nature.  I let the place tell me.

As a plein air landscape painter, I search for compositional arrangements that lend themselves to narrative possibilities. I am especially interested in the pantheistic quality of high altitude vistas juxtaposed to the intimate microcosm of the flora and fauna. These explorations of spatial extremes, for me, refer to the relationship between “world” and “self.” By probing beneath surface appearances, I try to reveal a nature that relates to bodily and psychological states of being.”

“Mackerel Sky” is the third in the series of exclusive TAMC collectible stickers that celebrate our mountain culture.

With only a limited print run, the 4″x 4″ sticker can be found at your favorite places in North Shore including Carole Sesko’s Art Studio, North Tahoe Art Center, Alpenglow Sports, Sunnyside Market, Tahoe City Visitor Center, Vista Gallery, As you Wish in Kings Beach, Jan Foss in IV, Cyclepaths in Truckee, Wild Cherries, The Backcountry, Brickelltown shops, and the Incline Village Visitor Center; and in South Shore at Sierra Ski & Cycle Works, Zephyr Cove Lodge, South Shore Visitor Centers, Elevate Wellness Center, Gaia-Licious, Driftwood Cafe, Beads Etc, League to Save Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Art League Center, and Grass Roots Natural Foods.  Or – send a SASE to Becky Bell, Box 10224, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96158.

About Phyllis Shafer:

Phyllis Shafer has been a full-time instructor in the Art Department at Lake Tahoe Community College since 1994, and is the art director of the college’s Haldan Art Gallery.

She received her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Since joining the Lake Tahoe Community College, Shafer has taught a wide range of art classes including painting, drawing, design, and art history. Shafer is also a practicing artist and has exhibited her work nationally and internationally since 1984. She is currently represented by Stremmel Gallery in Reno, NV.

Her paintings were recently included in a traveling exhibition organized by the Autry Center in Los Angeles, CA, titled, “Yosemite: Art of an American Icon”. More information about Shafer’s art career can be found at www.phyllisshafer.com.