LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 44 Nate Jeffery is an artist, graphic designer and outdoor enthusiast based out of Lake Placid, NY. He enjoys exploring the mountains and coast through backcountry skiing, surfing, snowboarding, whitewater kayaking, skateboarding, hiking, and canoeing. His art and design have been influenced by the activities and places he loves, especially the Adirondack mountains out his door. He is 44, a husband to Jess and dad to Wyatt (10) + Turbo the dog. A Conversation with "Wonder, it seems, is when we are at our best" -Nate Jeffery LOCALadk: Tell us a little about your work. Nate: My fine art and design work are landscape based as that's what inspires me. My fine art is first painted in black ink (ideally on location) then later processed into a screenprinting application. I can then pull multiple prints by hand to be shared far and wide at affordable prices. My design work also tends to be landscape based and is focused towards the outdoor industry. I strive to choose clients whose companies exercise a high degree of envi- ronmental responsibility in their manufacturing and business practices. LOCALadk: How do the Adirondacks inspire your work? Nate: Having lived and played in the Adirondacks most of my life, they are entwined with who I am. I had been visiting them to paddle as a child and moved to the region as soon as I could. Later, while working in the backcountry for NYS/DEC at the Lake Colden outpost, I witnessed the high peaks in all of their moods, weather, and conditions. Many unfor- gettable connective moments were experienced there. I carried a simple sketchbook around on my patrols as an outlet for everything I was taking in. The desire to share my work and the peaks with oth- ers grew as I went. I feel that it's first through expe- riencing natural wonder that people come to under- stand the importance of protecting it. It's with this in mind that I hope to inspire others to adventure and remind them of their own connective moments. Preservation is at the heart of my creative process. LOCALadk: While painting or sketching in the high peaks, do you try to capture a specific moment or rather something that could be described more as an essence, something timeless? Or is it something else? Nate: While in the peaks and working on a landscape, I try to convey the impact that the landscape has had upon me. The locations are pretty iconic for the region, and I hope that my audience identifies with impacts of their own. The High peaks have and continue to impact every level of my being - -physical, mental, and spiritual. The same scene can provide a completely different impact and vibe with a change in weather or light. Ultimately, I want to encourage connection to the natural world via a sense of wonder. Wonder, it seems, is when we are at our best, wide open and receptive to new experiences. Those experiences can change people and influence protection of wild space. At least that's my hope. LOCALadk: How were you introduced to ink painting and screen printing? Aside from the abil- ity to reproduce your work, is there anything that especially calls you to that medium?

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