Meet our June/July Artists
Seven artists will join us for the months of June and July at the Gallery sponsored by the Midway Art Association, in Midway, UT. The Gallery is in the Town Hall in space 120B. It is part of the Association’s mission to give our members an outlet to show their art to the public, whether they are established artists or just getting started in their practice.
The Gallery is open Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. or by appointment. An open house will be held on Saturday, June 7th, from Noon to 5 p.m. to view the art and meet some of the artists. Light refreshments will be served.
Here are some interesting facts about our seven new artists:
Ruby Jensen
Painting mainly in oil, Ruby also enjoys watercolor and silk painting. Taking inspiration from the beauty around her, she creates works from nature. Ruby considers it a blessing to have the time and resources to pursue her joy of painting. Grateful to live in the Heber Valley, with its majestic mountains, barns, historic homes, and animals, she has much beauty to draw from. Painting the landscape of rural Utah is her passion, keeping the history of the area alive on canvas.
Kristena Eden
Kristena, Bluffdale resident states, “My art is a revelation of cultures from past and present. These influences from around the world are interwoven into my life and expressed through my art. The use of ancient Raku technique of firing pieces adds to its natural form and expressing deep cultural bonds. I want to bring to the viewer a sense of connection: a connection to their past or to memories of a simpler life. I believe the things we see and the way we express them reflect who we are. I am a published artist from Utah. I was born in Oceanside, CA and studied at St. Charles College, MO, the University of Utah, Utah State, Utah Valley and Brigham Young Universities. I have traveled the world studying art of different cultures, finding the touch of the Master’s hand in the hearts of all people. I choose to paint, sculpt, and form pottery from the heart of life itself. Through my work I invite all to feel a part of the magical mystery found in the soul of mankind.”
Website: kristenasfineart.com
Email: kristena.eden@gmail.com
Janet Johnson
Heber City artist, Janet Johnson says, “I first found my love for art at a very early age where I grew up playing and exploring in the outdoors. I used art as the way to record what I would find in nature that fascinated me, from sea stars to mountains. My work ranges from still life to plein air landscapes. I find painting on site allows me to better understand color and light relationships. On site I can soak in the sensory details of the setting, creating a deep connection with that space. It pushes and challenges me to grow as an artist. One of my favorite benefits of painting on-site is meeting people and sharing conversation. I will often finish a piece in my studio or use an on-site painting to develop a larger piece. I primarily work in oil, occasionally with gouache and watercolor. I am inspired by the beauty in nature and in the ordinary yet extraordinary little things in everyday life. I hope my work puts a smile on your face, and makes you want to get outdoors and enjoy our beautiful world.
Website: https://JanetJohnsonArtist.com
https://. www.instagram.com/janet_johnson_artist
Brian Thayne
A Midway resident long known for his watercolors, Brian Thayne is now gaining quite a reputation for his bold and colorful oils as well. A graduate of BYU, Brian has traveled the world in search of meaningful subject matter. Chosen locales include parts of Europe, Mexico, Trinidad, as well as the mountains and deserts of the Great American West.
Günther Johannes Haidenthaller
Günther emigrated with his family from Austria as a child and grew up drawing and painting. He studied illustration and advertising design at Utah State University and spent 27 years as a designer and art director. Günther left full time employment in 2015 to pursue his passion for painting. He says, "Being Austrian, I am haunted by the ethereal, dreamlike quality of light in the moisture-laden European atmosphere. I strive to express that longing in every image I create, and hope that the viewer will feel my vision. Art is all about passion, and this is mine" Günther has won numerous awards for his work both locally and nationally, and his work hangs in collections in the United States and in Europe. He is a member of Oil Painters of America (OPA), American Impressionist Society (AIS), president of the Utah Watercolor Society, vice president of the Intermountain Society of Artists, and Board member of the Midway Art Association. He makes his home in Alpine, Utah.
Emily Thomas
Emily states, “I am constantly stunned by the beauty that surrounds us whether that is a landscape, a child's face at play, or the light bouncing off the water at sunset. My goal is to capture that feeling and express it the only way I know how, by drawing or painting it. Each time I stare at the blank canvas, my mind whirls with activity and the restless energy of creation. The joy for me is in the artistic journey.... the problem solving and losing myself in the process, not always in the finished product.” Emily grew up in a home that valued creativity. Her father helped start the St. George Art Festival and oversaw all the art programs for the city of St. George. This provided her the opportunity to take many art classes from community artists including cartooning, drawing, painting and ceramic classes. Emily earned a scholarship to Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. She eventually transferred to the University of Utah and graduated with a degree in graphic design. A few years later she went back and earned her Art/English Education degree from Utah Valley University and began teaching English, Creative Writing and Art. She is a member of the Utah Watercolor Association and Oil Painters of Utah and travels and paints as often as she can. Website: emilythomasfineart.com.
Bonnie Griffith
Bonnie Griffith is a contemporary and impressionistic landscape artist and educator living and working at her studio in southwestern Idaho. She is an established and award winning plein air painter who takes part in plein air events throughout the western US annually creating paintings of the land. Griffith has a kinship with the land, growing up in northcentral Montana on a cattle ranch; often appreciating (and sometimes not!) the vast openness of the landscape from the back of a horse. Griffith works in oils and pastels. Her work is shown in galleries in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Utah. Griffith’s work can be seen on her website https://bonniegriffith.com and
Instagram @bonniezahngriffith
