Jeffery Robert Pugh (1977- ) Salt Lake City

I could hardly believe my eyes. This painting was done by Jeff Pugh? Inconceivable--I have seen a lot of Jeff's work but I have never ever seen a Jeff Pugh painting (A) without landscape, and (B) with a human subject!


I have long been a fan of Jeff Pugh, enjoying his stark-yet-accessible landscapes and his whimsical, inscrutable cows. Believe me, the cows are highly entertaining no matter how many times you view his painting.

Jeff graduated from the University of Utah in 2004 with a Degree in Painting and Drawing. During this time, he has been showing his work throughout Utah and his work has been collected nationally. He has been able to take advantage of several opportunities to study with John Erickson and Gary E. Smith, both of whom have helped diversify and enrich his work. Jeff won Juror's Second Place at the 2008 84th Spring Salon at the Springville Museum of Art, for his oil painting titled "5394.40 Miles from Home."

Jeff lives in Utah with his wife Julia, daughter Remlee and son Benton. Julia recently graduated from the University of Utah as well with a Bachelor Degree in Piano Performance. [Bio from MeyerGallery.com]

Jeff Pugh
The Triplets
AFS from the MeyerGallery.com

Jeff Pugh
Yellow Bucket
Sold




So I was overjoyed to finally find a Pugh painting featuring a human in it. Like the rest of his work, it's a wonderfully understated picture of a father balancing his child in his arms, a reference to the complex balancing act every father must go through when welcoming the joy and responsibility of a new child into his life.

Jeff Pugh
Balancing (Allegory of Fatherhood)
NFS
Currently in the Springville Museum of Art

 
   






I like how the expression on the Father's face is just as inscrutable as the cows painted elsewhere. I think that the painting is of the artist with his son Benton, because Jeff Pugh uses this painting as his FaceBook picture. I hope Pugh will be doing many more paintings featuring humans.

Note that this painting is not explicitly LDS-themed. However, he did enter the work in the Springville Museum of Art's 24th Annual Spiritual and Religious Art of Utah Exhibition.

Notes for Collectors:
Pugh's paintings are typically smaller sized, ranging from 7" x 12" to 30" x 40".  His painting Balancing Act (shown above) is one of his larger paintings, although I see one as large as 48" x 70". I would suggest hanging his art in a nook or an alcove, or perhaps above a window seat or on a stair landing, where it can be staged alone, without neighboring pieces to detract from the delicacy of his depictions.

His smaller pieces are bargains if you are just looking to acquire a Pugh piece to enjoy, ranging from about $575 to less than $800. They show the same delicate brushwork and complex composition of his larger works. For a piece large enough to decorate a small wall space, you'll need to spend at least $2000. I havent seen much price appreciation through 2008-2009 coincident with the bad economy, although I see one large piece for $16,000 which is at least three times the price of any other of his paintings for sale.
 
For a list of galleries featuring Jeff Pugh's work, see his website:  http://jpughart.blogspot.com/