By Julie Osterman
Utah artist Gregory Stocks is fond of comparing the process of painting a landscape to writing a song. “There is a basic structure or rhythm to the work,” explains Stocks, who discovered his talents in both music and drawing in grade school. “The melody comes into play in the form of color, brushwork, and the expressive possibilities of process.”
After high school and a short-lived stint with a rock band in Portland, OR, in the early 1980s, Stocks enrolled at Utah State University and focused on art classes, earning a bachelor’s degree in illustration in 1986. Upon graduation, he opted for a career in graphic design while painting and drawing on the side. Gaining his first gallery representation in 1998, Stocks turned to painting full time in 2001 and now spends his time traveling across the West and bringing ideas back to his studio.
Although many of his landscapes are inspired by scenes from his travels, Stocks emphasizes that they are not exact representations. “I kind of imagine landscapes—it’s all from my head,” he says. “Not places that I’ve seen, but places I would like to see.” Stocks is represented by Gail Severn Gallery, Ketchum, ID; Jones & Terwilliger Galleries, Carmel and Palm Desert, CA; Basalt Gallery, Basalt, CO; A Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT; and Mountain Trails Gallery, Jackson, WY.
Featured in February 2006