Park City Demo
Zions Bank Show
Teresa and John Hughes
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John Hughes has been painting the landscape both in and out of the studio since 1983.
“That was the year I got really serious about my art” says John, even though he had been painting on and off for years since his early teens back in New York where he grew up. “The landscape has always held a particular fascination for me, but I paint and consider all subjects worthy of my artistic attention. Capturing the effect of light in a painting does more to convey a sense of reality than all the detail an artist can heap on a canvas.” John says, “ In painting, the literal gives meaning to the abstract but, the abstract gives beauty to the literal; combined, the two transcend what could not be accomplished alone”.
John’s particular style of painting is the culmination of a long list of influences that he has been exposed to over the years. Most notably, he spent a lot of time painting in the eucalyptus fields and mountains of southern California where he resided in the 1980s and was influenced by the late Don Miles and others of the California plein air school. “Don studied with Sam Hyde Harris, one of the early California Impressionists and I am glad to be connected to them in a sort of artistic genealogy through his guidance.” Certainly other artists have influenced John as well, including but not limited to the following who he has had the good fortune of working with at one time or another: Dick Heichberger, Wally Fisher, Paul Strisik, Ted Goerschner, Matt Smith, Scott Christensen, Zhang Win Xen and George Strickland.
John’s awards are numerous, including some of his favorites: First Place-MidWay Utah Main Street Paint Out, Artist of the Year – Big Bear California, First place – “Best and the Brightest Show” Scottsdale Artists School, “The Gallery Award of Excellence” – Park City Gallery Association and last year’s Quick Draw Winner – Alliance for the Varied Arts – Cache Valley Utah where he will be the judge of this year’s show. John and his art have been featured since October on the Source Tek Company’s website (www.canvaspanels.com) which specializes in artists panels for the plein air painter as well as other products. (He was highly recommended for this feature by Matt Smith, according to Source Tek owner Joanne Pierce who is Matt’s sister.) While originally from New York and then California, John now makes his home in Salt Lake City Utah where he has lived since 1991. He is a signature member of the Plein Air painters of Utah and is teaching a course at the Salt Lake Community College titled: “Fundamentals of Landscape Painting.” He recently spent a year and a half painting murals on a project for the LDS Church. “ After that experience, painting large has taken on a new meaning,” says John!
He has been featured five times in the Top 100 Show of the Arts for the Parks in Jackson Hole, Wyoming as well as three times in the Oil Painters of America National Shows. He has been written about in publications such as “Plein Air Magazine”, “Art of the West” and the “ Bristol Bay Times” of Alaska, where he was flown in with several other Utah artists to float back country rivers painting scenes for a major collector.
Additionally, Vern Swanson and the late Robert Olpin wrote John up in the book “Artists of Utah”. John’s work can be seen at the following Galleries and shows: Astoria Gallery, Jackson Hole Wyoming; Montgomery/Lee Gallery (formerly the Taminah Gallery) of Park City Utah; Apple Frame Gallery - Bountiful Utah and the Whistle Pik Gallery’s Miniature Show where he has been featured for the past several years.
Artist's Statement
Jackson Hole Arts Festival Quick Draw
Alaskan Plein Air Adventure
Bristol Bay Times, Alaska - News article about plein aire adventure in Alaska
Other Plein Air Moments |
