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The ‘Rembrandt of Snow’ Behind Hundreds of Resort Maps

  • September 27, 2021
  • Ned Morgan
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If you’ve skied one mountain, or traveled the world on skis or snowboard, you’ve probably used James Niehues’ resort maps.

The-Rembrandt-of-Snow-Behind-Resort-Maps-James-Niehues-Big-Sky-Spread
Big Sky, in James Niehues: The Man Behind the Map. Photo: jamesniehues.com

Niehues has been painting aerial views since the mid-1980s. He created his first ski resort map in 1988. “Each view is hand-painted by brush and airbrush using opaque watercolor to capture the detail and variations of nature’s beauty,” he explains. “In many instances, distortions are necessary to bring everything into a single view. The trick is to do this without the viewer realizing that anything has been altered from the actual perspective.”

The-Rembrandt-of-Snow-Behind-Resort-Maps-James-Niehues-detail
Photo: jamesniehues.com
The-Rembrandt-of-Snow-Behind-Resort-Maps-James-Niehues-Whistler-Blackcomb-map
Whistler Blackcomb, in The Man Behind the Maps. Photo: jamesniehues.com

To make a resort map, Niehues shoots the mountain from every possible perspective, including aerial. The resulting photographs are a baseline for the artist to conceive and visualize how the numerous angles and aspects all fit into a single frame. It is undoubtedly painstaking work.

“A ski map is first and foremost an accurate representation to guide the skier around the mountain,” says Niehues, “but it’s also how the trees, rocks, slopes and topography all converge into a beautiful scene.”

Recently Niehues announced the release of original paintings and sketches across his 35 year history in the ski industry, as he steps away from creating ski resort trail maps to focus on other projects.

Snowmass-James-Niehues
Snowmass. IMAGE SUPPLIED BY JAMES NIEHUES

On October 19, 2021, Niehues will release his first set of 10 originals showcasing the breadth of his work spanning resorts across the United States including select original paintings and sketches of Brighton, Mount Hood Ski Bowl, Northstar, Killington Pico, Okemo and Heavenly.

James-Niehues-Telluride 31x20 - 1200 pixels
Telluride. IMAGE SUPPLIED BY JAMES NIEHUES

Two of the original works being released—Snowmass and Telluride—are among the most rare items in Niehues’ collection as they feature his early work with Snow Country Magazine from more than 25 years ago. They will be auctioned with 100% of the proceeds going to support the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame.

The-Rembrandt-of-Snow-Behind-Resort-Maps-James-Niehues-jacksonhole_sketch
Jackson Hole sketch. Photo: jamesniehues.com
The-Rembrandt-of-Snow-Behind-Resort-Maps-James-Niehues-vail-sketch
Vail Resort sketch. Photo: jamesniehues.com

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  • artist
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Ned Morgan

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2 comments
  1. Frances Dong says:
    October 16, 2020 at 1:46 pm

    Pretty awesome! Love what you guys do…thanks for staying authentic in this sea of social-media bullshit! I’m a fan for life.

  2. Ned Morgan says:
    October 17, 2020 at 11:38 am

    Thanks, Frances!

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No one called me Feet Banks back in 1987. In those days, most people called me by my given name—except for my ski buddies, to whom I was known by the most badass moniker to ever schuss the slopes: Twinkle Toes.
We’re celebrating 20 Years of Mountain Life!
From The Gear Shed: Last Monday was the official start of spring, but we know there’s still some winter to be shredded. So ML staff and partners have picked the latest jackets, lanterns, bindings, mugs and drysuits for winter-spring.
Exploring the sights around beautiful Sutton, Quebec with ML creator @adv_bird ❄️🫶
Back on the road with three generations, dancing lifties, best-on-planet pizza and elusive-but-exquisite pow days.
Live It Up EP 24 is out now!
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