"The best park art helps you feel like you're standing there."

Episode Chapters

[00:43] Arden Von Hager shares how a childhood outdoors connection shaped his life and art

[02:28] How Arden's artistic talent was recognized and developed into a career

[09:48] Creating national park artwork that captures what a place feels like

[14:24] The intentional process behind every painting

[23:18] Exploring opportunities for artist residencies and workshops in parks

[28:47] How art can inspire conservation and deepen public engagement

Jody Maberry welcomes artist and retired professor Arden von Haeger to discuss how he uses art to showcase the beauty of the natural world. Arden grew up in Pennsylvania, spending his childhood hiking and fishing. That love of the outdoors ultimately lead to a decades-long illustration career led to creating award-winning national park artwork for Anderson Design Group.

In this episode, Arden explains how he approaches each painting with intentional choices about composition, lighting, wildlife, and color. He works to capture what a place feels like rather than simply what it looks like. Listen to hear how art can inspire conservation, engage visitors, and create deeper emotional connections to parks and public lands.

Read the blog for more from this episode.

Connect with Arden von Haeger

vonHaeger.com

Resources

www.parkleaders.com

https://parkleaders.com/about/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theparkleaders/