J.Odin Schurer
Studio Paintings
In the studio, I dive deeper into subjects that inspire me. Working indoors gives me the time to build up layers, explore color relationships, and bring more complex ideas to life. These pieces are sometimes inspired by my plein air work, but they reflect a different personality—one that is more thoughtful, deliberate, and fully immersed in the process.
Calm Before the Storm!
This is one of my favorite pieces from my trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway. I was captivated by the dramatic sky the dark, brooding clouds contrasting with brilliant light breaking through. Working from my photos back in the studio, I focused on building up layers of color to capture the moody, powerful feeling of that moment in the mountains.
The Silent Observer
Oil on board.I've always been drawn to foxes—their alertness, their wildness. This piece was all about capturing that sense of awareness in the eye and the texture of the fur through layered brushwork. The dark, atmospheric background lets the fox's warm tones really shine.
Where Water Meets Sky
This was my plein air study for the larger piece
Rooted in the hush of Goodale State Park, this painting began with mud on my boots and shifting light playing across water. Working en plein air, I tried to catch the fleeting reflections, the delicate lilies, and the quiet patience of cypress trees standing guard. Later in the studio, memory and imagination shaped a broader vision—where every ripple hints at mystery, and sky and water blend into living color. I paint to linger in places like this, inviting others to pause and feel both the solitude and richness of the Southern landscape. My aim is to honor not just what I see, but what I sense: peace, resilience, the passage of time, and the endless possibility in each brushstroke.
Make it stand out.
An Apple A Day
A Study from Percy Grey
This piece captures one of those perfect mountain moments—sunlight breaking through the trees and illuminating the valley below. I loved working with the contrast between the bold foreground trees and the soft, layered mountains in the distance. The rocks anchoring the foreground add a sense of place and grounding to the composition. The original painter for this piece was Percy Grey