Aaron Schuerr is a plein air painter, actor, playwright, and poet whose creative life is woven from all of these threads. For him, painting is a way to hold onto fleeting experiences; the memory of a sunset, the sound of waves, the sensation of a summer breeze. On location, he paints in response to the moment, and later in the studio, he refines, much like the difference between improvising and composing. Both are essential to his process.Every summer he carries his painting gear into the mountains, painting where inspiration leads and sleeping under the stars. In winter, he finds joy in the pink light and blue shadows of snowy landscapes, a season he calls his favorite. Whether working in oil or pastel, he seeks what is direct and true, often painting alla prima and returning to larger works over multiple sessions to deepen his connection to place.Schuerr’s work is rooted in the conviction that art is a shared story. Just as a sunset draws people together in wonder, a painting can take us out of ourselves or stir a memory that words cannot reach. His creative pursuits extend to the stage, where he has written and performed with Montana InSite Theatre Company and brought plein air painting into dialogue with Shakespearean monologues. At Tippet Rise Art Center, where he has performed and painted for several years, he continues to explore the intersections of painting, performance, and storytelling.