(1958 - ) Jeff Aeling was born in Iowa City, Iowa, and currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri. His father was an Army physician during the 1950s and 1960s, and the family moved from one hot spot to another when the Cold War dominated the American consciousness. Aeling’s feeling of connection to nature as an artist developed when the family was posted in Hawaii. Jeff Aeling’s painting travels take him all over the southwest. He finds himself returning to areas that allow clear observations of weather, atmosphere and the unobstructed lay of the land. In addition to painting landscapes at his home studio in Missouri, Aeling recently concluded a monumental exhibition that took over two years to design and create. The Layman’s Guide to the Passage of the Millennium included over a hundred exquisite three-dimensional assemblages and paintings addressing the anxieties of contemporary culture. Drawing upon the vastness of Nature, Jeff Aeling’s universal landscapes possess a stunning intimacy that conveys unexpected power and emotion. On location, the artist absorbs geography, including the rich earth colors that permeate landscape. Once in the studio, Aeling paints with economy. He keeps his brush strokes gestural, often painting at arm’s length as he applies pigment to board using the smallest number of brush strokes. Jeff Aeling’s paintings are included in numerous private, corporate and museum collections, including the Denver Art Museum in Colorado.