At a time when multi-tasking is the order of the day and sensory overload is the norm, it is easy to lose touch with the beauty and variety that exists within the world. Hadley Rampton, a Utah, native, purposely slows her life down in order to absorb and enjoy the surroundings that inspire her.

Rampton prefers to create en plein air, a French expression meaning “in the open air.” The natural Utah landscape leaps to her canvas as she creates amidst the elements that surround her. In describing her experience creating, Hadley Rampton paints a picture with words:

Standing in a meadow, my five senses satiated by all that nature brings including brilliant color, peaceful sounds, ever changing light and temperature, my soul is replenished and invigorated. I lay out my palette of oil colors based on a combination of what I see and feel. My first step is to stain my canvas with a warm hue, a color that will provide a rich base for the strokes to follow. I paint from thin to thick, my broken strokes first applied with a brush, then palette knife. As the painting progresses, I look less at my subject, listen less to my intellect, and allow the sometimes-chaotic brushwork to take over. At times my strokes become too chaotic and the painting loses itself. Other times, I am too tight and the painting dies. But when the painting takes a life of its own, often surprising me, I have made a connection with the moment and instinct prevails.

Having studied at the University of Utah, Rampton received her Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Painting and Drawing in 1999, as well as the 1998-1999 University of Utah President’s Award for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement. She’s also been involved in various painting workshops, and had the opportunity to study Studio Art and Architectural History at the Universita de Lroenzo d’Medici in Florence, Italy.

Most recently Hadley has been featured in the following PUBLICATIONS: 2006 “New Art International”, A Compendium of Recent Works by World Contemporary Artists 2005 Featured Artist, “Artists Of Utah” online publication, October edition 2005 “21 Under 31”, Southwest Art Magazine’s Annual Emerging Artists Issue, vol. 35, #4,

You might say that my work is a release of my senses rather than solely a depiction of a scene. The energy with which I paint, my color palette, even the technique I use to apply the paint are all directly related to my emotional response rather than the result of pre-calculated process.

Hadley Rampton

The show will continue to be on display and available for viewing daily from 9 am – 7 pm through April 2, 2008. For a private showing please contact Kris Wilkerson at (801) 745-9557. We look forward to seeing you Saturday, March 15th and thank you for letting us enrich your life through art!