Creating Mood: A Study of Atmosphere & Aerial Perspective

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Date: April 26, 2005
Time: 2:00 – 3:00

Personal Narrative 

I grew up in Bountiful, Utah in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains; because of my adventurous spirit, I spent much of my time exploring the area. As a result, I have had a connection with nature from an early age. I had a very active childhood and spent my summers backpacking, fishing, hiking, and biking and my winters snow skiing in the mountain ranges of Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and Wyoming. These experiences strengthened my love for the outdoors, and I became aware of my desire to create great landscape paintings. My parents recognized this artistic interest and over the years found several landscape painters, including Harold Demont Olsen, for me to study with.

After graduation from high school, I attended a year of college at Brigham Young
University. Then, I interrupted my college education for two years and served a religious mission for my church in Italy. Through my service, I developed a great love for the Italian people, language, culture, art, and landscape. I returned home to finish my undergraduate degree in Visual Arts. I enjoyed my overall experience at BYU, especially because I met my wife there. As I was interested in realism, I had a difficult time with the university's emphasis on conceptualism without a solid foundation in drawing and painting. Although my undergraduate training strengthened my ideas about art and aesthetics, I believed 1 still lacked many essential skills.

Following graduation, I spent a year teaching art lessons, gaining gallery representation, and building my portfolio. I learned quickly that selling art was a cballenging and competitive experience. After a year of exhibiting my work, I decided to return to school. I wanted to take my work to the next level and believed an MFA would help me accomplish that goal. Pursuing my Master's degree at the Academy of Art has given me the professional training I was searching for. I believe the portfolio I have developed and the skills I have gained will help me to make a living selling my work.

EDUCATION

MFA Fine Art Painting May 2005
Academy of Art University

BA in Visual Arts (April 2001)
Brigham Young University

Private training with Herold Demont Olsen (1992-1995)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Art Instructor with Venetian Gallery, LLC (2000-present)

Religion and English Teacher for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Milan, Italy (1995-1997)

GALLERY AND PROFESSIONAL REPRESENTATION

March 2005-present Malatesta Gallery, San Francisco, California
Feb. 2005 – present JC Willis Gallery, Park City, Utah
Apr. 2004 – present Galleria Luna, Half Moon Bay, California
Jan. 2002 – present Apple Frame Gallery, Bountiful, Utah
Jan. 2001 – present Gateway Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah
May 2001 -  Feb. 2004 Brownstone Gallery, Provo, Utah
Jun. 2000 – Jul. 2002 Tivoli Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

May 2005 -- OPA National show-juried entry, San Luis Obispo Plein Air Competition-juried entry
Nov. 2002, 03,04 -- Private Banking show at Zions Bank-by invitation only
Feb. 2004 -- Two-person show at Terra Nova Gallery in Provo, Utah
One-man show at Tivoli Gallery in Salt Lake City, Utah

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