Landscape painters see the world differently than most travelers do. Their eyes have been trained to seek the horizon， read the light， and understand subtle variations in weather.

风景画家看待世界的方式，和多数旅行者不同。他们的眼睛训练有素，能够追寻地平线、解读光线，并理解天气的微妙变化。

For the past two years， Timothy Wilson has been working on a series of images inspired by the landscapes of Maine Coast Heritage Trust1. He’s visited over a dozen of the trust’s nature preserves on the Maine coast， painting on cliffs， islands， in marshes and bogs—even from the seat of his kayak.

在过去两年里，提摩西·威尔逊一直在创作一系列图画，其灵感来自缅因州海岸遗产信托自然保护区。他走访了该信托在缅因州海岸的十几处自然保护区，在悬崖、岛屿、湿地与沼泽间挥笔——甚至坐在皮划艇上作画。

You don’t have to be an artist to appreciate the natural world. Anyone can stop and marvel at a sunset. Next time you hit the road， make sure you have a sketchbook—or even just a cellphone—on hand to capture and compose. Any trip can be an artists’ retreat if you let it.

要欣赏自然世界，你无须成为艺术家。面对日落，任何人都可以驻足惊叹。下次外出时，记得带上速写本——或者只是一部手机——以便随时捕捉并创作。只要你愿意，任何旅行都可以成为一场艺术修行。

Find your footing

找到立足之地

To absorb a landscape， be it a desert or a marsh， the first step is to find a vantage spot. “When I’m working， I’m carrying my own heft2 and the heft of my gear，” Wilson points out. “While I like the fluidity of the earth， I don’t enjoy walking through smarmy sandy areas to get to where I’m painting. I like having solid ground under my feet.”

要欣赏一处风景，无论是沙漠还是沼泽，首先得找到合适的观景点。“工作时，我既要身负自重，又要扛着装备。”威尔逊指出，“虽然我喜欢大地的灵动，但我不喜欢踩着松软的沙地前往作画的地方。我喜欢脚下是坚实的土地。”

Instead of worrying about sinking into the mud， or slipping on seaweed， Wilson sets his easel3 on a well-trodden hill， a dry flat rock， or a place where the seaweed has matted down thickly. “In order to be a good observer of nature， you have to have a good place to stand.”

威尔逊并不担心陷入泥泞，或在海藻上打滑，他把画架支在常有人踏足的山丘上，干燥平坦的岩石上，或是海藻丛生的地方。“想要成为善于观察自然的人，你得找到合适的立足点。”

New York City-based landscape painter April Gornik also focuses on creating strong， moody images that feel timeless （and occasionally a little haunting）. She tends to look first at the world around her， then paints a landscape back in her studio. “When you travel，” she says， “you deliberately dislocate yourself. So you have to relocate yourself. It’s a healthy thing for people.”

定居纽约的风景画家艾普丽尔·戈尔尼克也致力于创作风格强烈且略带悲伤的作品，这些作品给人永恒的感受（间或透着一丝幽邃韵味）。她习惯于先看周围的世界，再回到画室作画。“当你旅行时，”她说，“你会刻意脱离自己，所以你必须重新找回自己。这对人们是有益的。”

Gornik encourages travelers to reach a place of ease， a sense of comfort within discomfort. “The landscape is the other， the ultimate other，” she says. “Art is about taking the leap， becoming familiar， finding yourself.”

戈尔尼克鼓励旅行者进入一种自在的境地，在不适中感受舒适。