| GALLERY HAPPENINGS - June 2025
|
Find Your Muse at Gallery Moab
by Thea Nordling |
 What ignites the creative spark? Every artist has a different answer to this question, as each responds to their particular muse in a unique way. The same is true for the viewer. What subject matter and kind of art speaks to you? Paintings or photography? Wearable or utilitarian art? Realistic, abstract or whimsical? Gallery Moab, a cooperative of local artists, features a sampling of all of the above, and more.
Our June Guest Artist Barbara Churchley is in the spotlight with her colorful pastel and oil paintings that celebrate her personal connection with her muse, the western landscape she calls home. An avid hiker, skier and runner, she expresses her energetic spirit in pastel and oil paintings infused with vibrant color and bold brushwork, taking her viewers along on a journey into the alpine, plateau and pastoral landscapes she loves. She paints in an interpretive and impressionistic style, using bold, spontaneous strokes of color without detail. She is also a birdwatcher, traveling internationally to see birds, which inspire some of her work. Her note cards “Birds of Eastern Utah” are carried in the gift shops at Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.
 An award-winning artist with a long list of credentials, Churchley is a Master Signature Member of the Pastel Society of Colorado, Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society, International Plein Air Painters, Plein Air Artists of Colorado and New Mexico, Contemporary Fine Artists International, and an Associate Member of Oil Painters of America and the Pastel Society of America.
Churchley is in demand as an art show juror and instructor. Her lively workshops are a favorite among Moab artists, who enjoy her positive, individual approach to her students, encouraging each to develop their own style. On June 5 and 6 she is teaching a workshop for pastel artists at the Moab Arts and Recreation Center called “One Step Further.” Describing this class, Churchley says, “How often have you asked yourself if the painting is finished? This workshop will help to look at your paintings with a positive, but critical eye. We will explore the techniques that help you go that one step further to make your painting stronger and more effective. I want you to be able to step back from the work, and looking at it puts a smile on your face.”
No reception is scheduled for Churchley, but all are invited to view her works throughout June. While you’re at Gallery Moab, browse the walls and shelves, and you just might find that special piece of original art that sparks a personal connection with you. We offer a wide variety of art and artisan crafts to appeal to any taste and budget.
Open Sunday & Monday 12:00 – 3:00 p.m
Tuesday through Saturday 12:00 – 6:00 p.m
Call 435-220-0891 and we will gladly open by appointment during other hours.
We look forward to your visit!
Gallery Moab LCA • 59 South Main Street #1, Moab, Utah 84532 • 435-355-0024
gallerymoab.com
Visit us on Facebook and Instagram
|
Watercolors outlined with black ink
a signature technique of this Moab artist
By Sharon Sullivan
|
 Janet Buckingham is creating even as she falls asleep at night, when images come to her from many places – including art, textiles, and particularly literature. She then incorporates those nocturnal images into her paintings or mixed media projects.
Buckingham’s love for southeast Utah’s landscapes is evident in her original ink and watercolor paintings which can be found at Moab Made, 82 N. Main St., a shop featuring the work of local artists; as well as Gallery Moab, a local artist collective gallery at 59 S. Main, suite 1. In addition to her original paintings, Buckingham makes wall hangings and tote bags from her paintings, plus prints and cards – which are available at Moab Made.
Buckingham sketches out her drawings, before filling in with watercolors. As the paintings dry it reveals where to put the lines, she said. Outlying the painting in ink is usually the last process, she said. Many of her paintings depict the landscapes of southeast Utah.
In 2018, Buckingham was selected “Community Artist in the Parks” – a program that highlights the connection between local artists and the landscapes of the National Park Service’s Southeast Utah Group: Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Hovenweep National Monument and Natural Bridges National Monument.
“I loved it; it was the opportunity of a lifetime,” Buckingham said. “My heart has always belonged to the national parks.” She spent several months visiting – and creating artwork – in all the national parks and monuments in the Southeast Utah Group.
Buckingham has always been a creative person – whether sewing quilts, writing poetry, or painting. She has used the encaustic process in her artwork, and has integrated poetry, as well as embroidery into some of her pieces. She has also highlighted her watercolor work with pastels – the medium she first used before switching to ink and watercolors.
 Buckingham, who was single at the time, fell in love with Moab after traveling with her young son tent camping around the West. They ended up moving to Moab 34 years ago, where she landed a job with the Canyonlands History Association, where she edited and wrote brochures.
“It was a perfect segue into Moab,” said Buckingham, who also worked at Back of Beyond Books for many years, and has taught high school and college English in the past.
To see more of this multi-talented artist’s work visit: www.janetbuckingham.com
|
|
