Artist Statement

I was raised in Utah. I paint in Salt Lake City in my studio and spend much of my time at our home in Torrey, Utah just outside of Capitol Reef National Park. Much of my inspiration comes from my time in Torrey watching storms, studying light, and taking photographs. Even as a child I would often watch the sky, wondering about its vastness and where it goes. I am curious about the ethereal quality of clouds, ever-changing as they are, in contrast to the eternally rough and rugged Western landscape—whether wild, rural but farmed, or the urban paved.

My paintings focus on urban, rural landscape and sky, with a emphasis on color, atmosphere, weather, and clouds. I enjoy creating contrast with the subject matter through the use of unusual color choices and different shapes and sizes of canvas, in an effort to create a psychological connection between the art and the viewer.

I am compelled by a long tradition of artists engaged with the sky and land, from the 17th Century in Holland, mid-19th Century in France, and 20th Century in the American West. Like these predecessors, I paint with oils, build the surface from dark to light, often reducing hue in favor of a broad value range—I typically use color compliments to heighten contrast. I don't seek to duplicate the scene, but artfully express the emotional state, the meditative and seductive qualities, hoping to capture moments in time that may never exist. The underlying paradox of my venture is fear of the changing environment; the pollution of the skies, cultivation of the land and incursion of residential and industrial construction in nature. But there is beauty to be uncovered amongst the mundane and common sights, as my painting retrains the eye to see the newness of the ethereal clouds and eternal land.

Born

1949 Salt Lake City, Utah

Education

Formal

2004
BFA in Painting/Drawing - University of Utah

1988
Phoenix Institute - Emphasis in Communication

1978
Brigham Young University - Program in Interior Design

Informal

Art Studio Workshops - Helper, Utah; Sculpture, Drawing, and Painting - Teasdale, Utah; Painting - Sun Valley Art Center; Plein Air Painting Workshop - Provence, France; Entrada Plein Air Workshop

Professional Experience

2004-Present
Trustee, Salt Lake Art Center

2004
Trustee, Artists of Utah

1983-2001
Owner of Boardman Design and Laura's Interiors

1992
President of Utah Association of Women Business Owners, Board of Directors

Awards, Publications, Commissions

2010 – Poster, 4th Annual Women's Red Rock Music Festival
2010 – Commission, Barbara and Jim Clark, Salt Lake City
2010 – Commission, Lana Schowdengert, Salt Lake City
2009 – Painters of Utah Canyons and Deserts, Donna L. Pulton & Vern Swanson
2009 – Catalog for AAUW Exhibition
2009 – Award Winner, Contemporary Landscape, American Association of University Women
2009 – Commission, Mary Bangerter, Salt Lake City
2004 – Book Cover, Walking with Angels by Jane Emerson

Collections

Advanta Corp., Philadelphia, PA
Advanta Bank Corp., Salt Lake City, UT
Zion's Bank, Salt Lake City, UT