Deep Dive: Prismatic Peaks by Ruolin Shi

“A lake is a landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”
- Henry David Thoreau

“If there are ripples on the surface of a lake, we cannot see the depth. Similarly, unless the mind is restful, we cannot experience the harmony and union within us.” 
- Sri Ravi Shankar

About the Artist

Ruolin Shi is a Calgary-based artist whom we first collaborated with as part of our Mountain Vistas bundle of mini puzzles. Ruolin began her painting journey in 2020 during her maternity leave. She found solace and happiness in painting the stunning Canadian Rockies while being isolated from loved ones during COVID lockdowns. As with Emerald Lake, Ruolin has transformed Paahtómahksikimi (The Inner Sacred Lake of the Blackfoot), the plains and the picturesque peaks of Waterton National Park with her contemporary style and vibrant colours.

Links

Ruolin Shi - Artist Etsy Shop

Ruolin Shi - Instagram

Paahtómahksikimi - Blackfoot Culture in Waterton

History of the Prince of Wales Hotel and Canada's Grand Railway Hotels

Geology and Landforms of Waterton Lakes National Park

Evolution of a Landscape: The Quaternary Period in Waterton Lakes National Park (John E Harrison, Geological Survey of Canada, 1976)

Siri's Puzzle Design Notes

Waterton isn’t a place that sits still, at least not in the grand timeline of things. It moves, breathes, and shifts, shaped by forces far older than any human memory. Wind was my guiding theme—not just in its physical force, but in the way it shapes perception. Zigzags across the water reveal its invisible presence, while small details—a golf flag whipping in the breeze, the hair of a kite flyer lifting—capture its playful, unpredictable nature.

Ruolin’s geometric and kaleidoscopic vision brings this energy to life. Her use of fractured shapes and vibrant colours reflects the shifting interplay of light, land, and atmosphere in Waterton. The landscape isn’t just something to look at—it’s something to experience, with each viewer discovering a unique beauty in the way they observe it.
Each element of nature takes on a distinct geometric identity, reinforcing the balance between structure and flow:

• Hexagons, inspired by the Overlook Hotel’s carpet in The Shining, create a rhythmic challenge on the steep climb of the mountains, evoking the difficulty of reaching the summit.
• Bubbly, curling rock-shaped clouds drift overhead, their rounded forms softening the scene and reflecting the movement of air currents.
• The water undulates with refracted light, its angular patterns capturing the way light bends and dances across the lake’s surface.
• Grass bursts with unseen life, its clustered, organic texture echoing the dense and hidden ecosystems that thrive beneath it.
• The mountains stand in stark contrast—jagged, angular, and sharp, a visual reminder of the immense geological forces that shaped them over millions of years.

These shapes work together through the Gestalt principles of perception, which describe how the mind instinctively organizes visual information into meaningful patterns.

• The principle of similarity connects repeating shapes—hexagons on the mountains, ripples on the water—so they feel like part of a larger pattern rather than separate elements.
• Continuity guides the eye through the composition, from the sweeping motion of the clouds to the zigzagging water, creating a sense of flow.
• Figure-ground relationships create contrast, allowing the jagged mountains to stand boldly against the sky while the soft clouds and water provide balance.
• Proximity and closure help turn individual fragments—a tiny dragonfly, a curl of grass—into a recognizable ‘whole’, as you fill the gaps your mind notices and piece together the art.

Hidden Whimwham: Prince of Wales Hotel

Though the land is timeless, human history leaves its imprint. The Prince of Wales Hotel, standing tall against the elements, is the only man-made feature in the scene. Represented with a 10-piece hidden whimwham, its layered topographic design mirrors the land itself.

Whimsy List

• 3x Kites
• 3x Yoga Stretches
• 2x Bats
• Long-Toed Salamander
• Butterfly Net + Butterfly
• Bighorn Sheep
• Mountain Goat Family
• Golfer & Flagstick
• Lake Monster
• Osprey & Catch
• Spotting Scope
• Wolverine
• Tree
• Fox
• 3-piece 'bear cave'
• Fisherman
• Dog on a Paddleboard
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Cedar Waxwing
• Train (CP Railway)
• Artist Signature