Jack Koonce was raised in the sagebrush hills and craggy mountain peaks of Central Idaho, where he spent a childhood rambling through the vast rugged wilderness that was his backyard. Fishing, hunting, hiking, backpacking, skiing and sketching all combined to forge a deep and elemental bond with nature, and his canvases are evidence of that profound connection.

Koonce recalls of his initial trip to the high alpine backcountry: "The first time I made it to high altitude in summer,I was hooked. Stunted trees and deep, green, grass against snow-white granite. Flowers everywhere..It was a masterwork."

Cold, snowy winters worked their magic too. For back in the day, when the snows...