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Into the Wilderness: An Artist's Journey
During years of study and exploration, Stephen Lyman discovered his calling: to paint the wilderness with passionate commitment, and to communicate the joy found there in each image. Through his beautiful paintings and extraordinary photography he celebrates the importance of the wilderness as a whole.Into the Wilderness is more than a splendid art book. With it, you can journey with Lyman into a wilderness very few have experienced. You can share the sensation of being in the wild--exploring, discovering, studying, and enjoying the all-encompassing beauty of unspoiled nature.
Into the Wilderness features Stephen Lyman's favorite paintings, as well as many unpublished paintings and sketches. In addition, the artist includes more than one hundred of his own photographs showing details and overviews of the natural world that inspires his paintings. Through Lyman's paintings and photography, and in the words of writer and former Sierra magazine editor Mark Mardon, each of us can experience the deep quiet of the woods, find serenity at the water's edge, climb mountains, and be completely at home in the world of the wilderness.
Into the Wilderness features Stephen Lyman's favorite paintings, as well as many unpublished paintings and sketches. In addition, the artist includes more than one hundred of his own photographs showing details and overviews of the natural world that inspires his paintings. Through Lyman's paintings and photography, and in the words of writer and former Sierra magazine editor Mark Mardon, each of us can experience the deep quiet of the woods, find serenity at the water's edge, climb mountains, and be completely at home in the world of the wilderness.
180 pages, Hardcover
First published January 9, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 9, 2018
Beautiful “coffee table” book containing pictures of Stephen Lyman’s artwork and photographs. Lyman painted nature, wilderness, and animals of the Sierra Nevada, Alaska, and Northern California. The art is beautiful, and it is complemented by a narrative of the author’s hiking and camping adventures in Yosemite written by Mark Mardon. Lyman was a follower of the philosophy of John Muir and this book is filled with quotations from Muir’s writings, the serenity found in communing with nature, and the importance of conservation. It is a wonderful tribute to an amazing artist. Unfortunately, and ironically, the author died while hiking in Yosemite within a year of its publication, so this book serves as a remarkable testament to his life. He named one of his sons “Muir” and was living off-the-grid before it became fashionable. My art teacher gave me this book as a gift to inspire me, and it has unquestionably served the purpose. Highly recommended to nature and art lovers.
December 8, 2023
The photography, sketches, and paintings by Stephen Lyman is the centerpiece of this book. You know this is a very special book when in the dedication, Lyman gives thanks to not only his family, publisher, the National Park Service and many other organizations who love and care for wilderness, but most importantly “to the Four-Legged Ones, who know wilderness as home and teach us how to live there; to the Winged Ones, who see the larger picture from above; to the Many-Legged Flyers and Crawlers of this world, who provoke us into seeing the Sacred at every level; to the Plant people, who live the bloom of life constantly; to miraculous Water, who keeps life flowing into myriad forms; to the Stone People, who ground life with ancient wisdom and mountains of beauty; to the Earth, who builds and nurtures us all.”
Much of this passion and appreciation for the natural world can be traced back to the influence on Lyman from the writings and philosophy of John Muir, a legendary figure in American environmentalism. While taking his first backpacking trip in Yosemite on a break from college and simultaneously reading Muir’s My First Summer in the Sierra, he realized a new goal to devote as much of his art as possible to depicting the wilderness. After graduating, he stayed in Pasadena for a few months, researching the life and work of Muir. The first biography he read was Linnie Marsh Wolfe’s Son of the Wilderness: The Life of John Muir.” Although he initially painted wildlife and landscapes, it was Yosemite National Park, championed by John Muir, that truly captured his heart and imagination. Stephen Lyman wrote, “I’m adopting Muir’s language of the earth as alive, to be treated with respect and love, not as a material resource or something for us to conquer.”
As Mark Mardon notes in Lyman’s book Into the Wilderness: An Artist’s Journey, “John Muir was Lyman’s spiritual mentor: with an artist’s eye, Steve sees the mountains and valleys as Muir did, vivid in shadow and light.” Lyman’s publisher, Greenwich Workshop, states: “John Muir, one of the world’s most important naturalists and conservation writers, was an important influence in Lyman’s life. Many contend that Lyman did with art what Muir did with words. They considered the artist to be the living personification of Muir. For both men, the great outdoors were pure, sanctified places – their special ‘cathedrals’ providing spiritual renewal.”
Famed wildlife artist Bev Doolittle wrote: “I think of Steve [Lyman] as the other John Muir.”
John Muir, often referred to as “The Father of the National Parks,” was a Scottish-American naturalist, environmentalist, writer, and the author of influential books such as My First Summer in the Sierra and The Yosemite. His advocacy for the preservation of wilderness areas and his role in establishing Yosemite National Park deeply resonated with Lyman. Stephen Lyman said, “John Muir wrote, ‘Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.’ I know exactly what he meant. All my paintings have their origins in my experience and perception of beauty in the wilderness.”
Mark Mardon provides the text has you accompany Steve on a metaphorical wilderness journey, as he follows the trail deep into the wilderness along the Tuolumne River, and eventually off-trail into the highest mountain peaks. As you travel with him, you learn to see through his artist eye, from the widest landscapes to the tiniest details of flowers and insect life. Even at night, you stay with him as he makes camp in a special grove of trees, the stars above, surrounded by symmetrical shapes of red fir as you warm yourself by the campfire. And when you return with Lyman home, you find ways to live with low impact on the Earth and its creatures, finding creative ways to live in harmony with the natural world.
For more about Stephen Lyman, see the Planet Patriot Stephen Lyman website: https://planetpatriot.net/stephen-lyman/
Much of this passion and appreciation for the natural world can be traced back to the influence on Lyman from the writings and philosophy of John Muir, a legendary figure in American environmentalism. While taking his first backpacking trip in Yosemite on a break from college and simultaneously reading Muir’s My First Summer in the Sierra, he realized a new goal to devote as much of his art as possible to depicting the wilderness. After graduating, he stayed in Pasadena for a few months, researching the life and work of Muir. The first biography he read was Linnie Marsh Wolfe’s Son of the Wilderness: The Life of John Muir.” Although he initially painted wildlife and landscapes, it was Yosemite National Park, championed by John Muir, that truly captured his heart and imagination. Stephen Lyman wrote, “I’m adopting Muir’s language of the earth as alive, to be treated with respect and love, not as a material resource or something for us to conquer.”
As Mark Mardon notes in Lyman’s book Into the Wilderness: An Artist’s Journey, “John Muir was Lyman’s spiritual mentor: with an artist’s eye, Steve sees the mountains and valleys as Muir did, vivid in shadow and light.” Lyman’s publisher, Greenwich Workshop, states: “John Muir, one of the world’s most important naturalists and conservation writers, was an important influence in Lyman’s life. Many contend that Lyman did with art what Muir did with words. They considered the artist to be the living personification of Muir. For both men, the great outdoors were pure, sanctified places – their special ‘cathedrals’ providing spiritual renewal.”
Famed wildlife artist Bev Doolittle wrote: “I think of Steve [Lyman] as the other John Muir.”
John Muir, often referred to as “The Father of the National Parks,” was a Scottish-American naturalist, environmentalist, writer, and the author of influential books such as My First Summer in the Sierra and The Yosemite. His advocacy for the preservation of wilderness areas and his role in establishing Yosemite National Park deeply resonated with Lyman. Stephen Lyman said, “John Muir wrote, ‘Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.’ I know exactly what he meant. All my paintings have their origins in my experience and perception of beauty in the wilderness.”
Mark Mardon provides the text has you accompany Steve on a metaphorical wilderness journey, as he follows the trail deep into the wilderness along the Tuolumne River, and eventually off-trail into the highest mountain peaks. As you travel with him, you learn to see through his artist eye, from the widest landscapes to the tiniest details of flowers and insect life. Even at night, you stay with him as he makes camp in a special grove of trees, the stars above, surrounded by symmetrical shapes of red fir as you warm yourself by the campfire. And when you return with Lyman home, you find ways to live with low impact on the Earth and its creatures, finding creative ways to live in harmony with the natural world.
For more about Stephen Lyman, see the Planet Patriot Stephen Lyman website: https://planetpatriot.net/stephen-lyman/
November 16, 2017
This book is stunning. The paper used is thick, heavy, and the colors are strong and true. Well made, and the foil tree on both the case and the cover really shines against the dark blue. Well written, as well as full of pictures, this is a book to be treasured. I've looked through it at least 3x this year. His artwork is so beautiful and lifelike, paintings so large and full of detail it almost makes you feel like you are there. I have been fortunate enough to have seen several paintings up close but find this book does a pretty good job of keeping that sense of awe, even though on a much smaller scale.
October 14, 2016
Beautiful! I adore the collection of artwork and photography of Stephen Lyman, who features wildlife in their natural habitats. For those who love nature and appreciate the workmanship of the artist, please check this one out. Definitely purchasing this book for our home collection.
May 2, 2015
A beautiful collection of Lyman's prints. I own a print that his wife issued after his death. I like so much of his stuff and this book gave me a little taste of how he lived.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews