April is a true delight! Gentle sunshine, blossoms, fresh green leaves, the canyon country at its springtime best. Gallery Moab, an artist-owned and operated cooperative gallery, offers a vibrant diversity of art and artisan crafts that reflects this uplifting mood. Our talented artists work in many mediums and styles, each with a unique vision and style of expression.
Greg MacDonald, Painter of … What? is our April Guest Artist. He creates intriguing images in watercolor, which he likes for its simplicity and portability. You might see him painting just about anywhere, often in a local bakery. He paints daily, mostly “from his head” and only occasionally what he sees in front of him. Hard to categorize, his paintings have been described as whimsical, surreal, fantastical, humorous, playful, and even scary.
Describing his process, MacDonald says, “From the free flow of watercolor to paper, emerging paintings coax memories and images that are simultaneously abstract and pictorial … with meticulously depicted eyes and rendered faces along with loosely described forms which then dissolve back into fluid brushstrokes. Characters arrive sporting animal features which then brush up against human stories, predicaments, and emotions.” He explains, “The paintings exist in some middle area, where you know, but don’t really know what they are or what they mean. I suppose I paint a question. I paint a...what?” MacDonald’s originals, prints, cards and calendars will be on display through April. Come see for yourself …what? his work stirs up in your own mind.
Featured gallery artist, Amber Honour, a Moab native, is a lifelong artist who grew up here inspired by the landscape around her, the vibrant local community of artists, and a household that encouraged and valued art. Oils are her preferred medium, but she also loves to experiment with ink, gouache, watercolor, printmaking and several other mediums. After a long hiatus from art in her 20’s, she moved back to Moab with her young family and, as she describes it, “did a deep dive into learning everything I could about oil painting.”
Initially Honour worked slowly, but then discovered the daily painting movement, which transformed her creative process. She explains, “I tried my hand at finishing 30 paintings in 30 days and was hooked. As of 2023, I’ve done twelve 30-day challenges and one 100-day challenge. In 2022 I tried plein air painting. Like daily painting challenges, I’m hooked. Painting a snapshot in time while time refuses to stand still is a whole new challenge. I’ve found that the final painting doesn’t represent a snapshot, but the sum of all my time. I’m excited to continue exploring plein air in the coming years.” Her determined approach to her art has certainly paid off in her prolific output of loose, fresh and confident paintings.
Meet MacDonald and Honour and enjoy refreshments and camaraderie at a special reception at Gallery Moab on Thursday, April 6, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. We also invite you to meet our member artists during Art Walk,
Saturday April 8, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. We look forward to your visit!
Open Sunday and Monday 11 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.;
Tuesday through Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Call 435-220-0891 and we will gladly open by appointment.
Gallery Moab LCA • 59 South Main Street #1, Moab, Utah 84532 • 435-355-0024
gallerymoab.com
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