Sangeetha Gopalakrishnan was prepared for a peaceful, solo hike with her dog this spring in the Sierra Nevada. She set up her easel and started painting at an elevation of 10,000 feet.
As skies darkened and snow began to fall, Gopalakrishnan noticed that her 5-year-old labradoodle—a “strong hiker” who carries her own pack—was interested in something on the ground.
“My dog started sniffing these prints on the trail. Those were bear paw prints,” Gopalakrishnan told the Sun.
Plan a visit
See Sangeetha Gopalakrishnan’s show All Trails Lead Inward at the California Nature Art Museum, located at 115-B Mission Drive in Solvang, through April 12. Visit the gallery on Nov. 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a talk with the artist. Learn more about her work by visiting sangeethag.com or by following @sangeethagartist on Instagram.
Plans to finish her study vanished.
“I packed up, ran down the mountain the fastest I’ve ever run down a mountain, and made it back. That painting, I finished it at home, so it was not done plein air,” she added.
A Pass of Seasons, the piece in question, is one of eight that now hang inside the California Nature Art Museum (CalNAM) as part of a show called All Trails Lead Inward. Gopalakrishnan’s exhibit is on display until April 12 next year.
As all CalNAM artists are, the Irvine resident is inspired by California’s wilderness, bear prints included. She approached a museum director last year and sent a proposal for her own show because she enjoyed the gallery so much as a visitor. Gopalakrishnan’s ambition landed her a slot in the Solvang museum, the farthest north she’s ever shown her art.
“I felt that their theme of really supporting California nature art and hosting California artists, it really appealed to me. I loved the exhibitions I’d seen in the past, and I wanted to show my portfolio, and they loved it,” Gopalakrishnan said. “I felt it was like a perfect fit for what I do.”
The great outdoors is Gopalakrishnan’s favorite inspiration, from the coast to wine country to the mountains. She’ll take her art supplies hiking and backpacking multiple times a month, conducting studies and creating small reference sketches.
Back at her home studio, the painter selects images she’s most drawn to and paints them in larger formats.
Gopalakrishnan created the artwork for her CalNAM show this year. The show’s title, All Trails Lead Inward, invites viewers to an introspective experience because although trails look like they’re going somewhere external, the painter said they aren’t.
“All emotion that we feel when we look at a view and nature, or light or a path, it’s ultimately an emotion that you already have,” Gopalakrishnan explained. “So, the more time I spend outside, I felt that I was so connected with nature. None of these emotions are separate from it, so I just want people to look at these paintings and feel those emotions that are already deep within them and re-experience them.”
Her initial introduction to California’s trails was the result of a back injury 16 years ago. A doctor prescribed more activity, so Gopalakrishnan got involved with hiking groups.
“And then I discovered camping, and then discovered backpacking, so it was a very organic discovery. Something I never intended to do, but life took me here,” Gopalakrishnan said.
In a similar fashion, she realized she liked painting. Gopalakrishnan moved to the U.S. from India in 2007 to pursue electrical engineering, with “no artistic inclination” back then, she said. Last year, she quit that 19-year chapter after picking up some paint.
“It became a passion. I couldn’t stop painting,” the former engineer said.
Creative problem solving is important in engineering, just like it is in art. Gopalakrishnan said it’s the same skill with different tools. As far as the actual expertise of painting, she believes she could’ve picked up any hobby because she’s the type of person who likes to learn new things and improve her skills.
“You have to follow that passion like a child. That’s what I feel. Like, once you see a spark, you have to be willing to snatch it and just follow it,” Gopalakrishnan said. “I think that’s what happened to me.”
She still feels a sense of wonder when she’s surrounded by California wilderness. Raised in India, Gopalakrishnan feels in some ways that she brings an outsider’s perspective.
“I have a wild awe and fascination still for these places because I feel like there’s so much for me to explore, so I’m very, very fascinated by every trail,” Gopalakrishnan said. “What I see might be a little different from what someone who has lived there all their life sees and has seen all their life. I feel like in that way, I think there’s a fresh perspective from my side on all these locations.”
Being a full-time artist allows Gopalakrishnan the time and freedom to do her favorite activity: exploring. Her career shift began a new phase of life, and the artist said she’s excited to continue seizing opportunities and learning every day.
“I feel like someone who can get lost for hours painting. It’s like a meditation,” Gopalakrishnan said. “Even when I was an engineer, I would get into doing one thing, and I would be completely lost. I love that feeling. There’s so much joy.
“It’s so relaxing for me, and especially when I paint my large paintings, it’s almost like I’m dancing.”
Staff Writer Madison White likes to stay a safe distance away from bear tracks. Reach her at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in October 29 – November 5, 2026.
