‘Reality versus a dream’: St. George artist turns her own professional photography into vibrant paintings

ST. GEORGE — One local artist is splashing her landscape photography onto canvas, creating vibrant art pieces as vivid as your dreams.  

Artist Julianne Skinner stands next to her artwork at her home studio in St. George, Utah on Feb. 27, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Artist Julianne Skinner stands next to her artwork at her home studio in St. George, Utah on Feb. 27, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

“With the photography and the paintings, they represent a reality versus a dream,” artist Julianne Skinner said. “Dreams turn into reality and reality becomes a dream.”

Skinner said humans are in a constant cycle of what once was — such as childhood memories that have transitioned to dreams that play over in our heads. The reality/dream cycle continues in the form of goals or dreams for the future, with hopes they will one day be a reality.

That’s what she represents through her photography (reality) and her paintings (dreams).

“With our reality being a photograph, or what we see as real, versus a dream can be skewed and changed into something else,” she said. “Whether it be a pretty, vibrant, spectacular scene to something that can be viewed as sorrow, my paintings pull out different feelings, and that can be something different for everybody.”

Drawn to thick, black lines, she grew up doodling with a Sharpie. During family vacations, she would carry a disposable camera and take pictures of everything she could.

Hand-painted magnets sit next to the initial stages of a new painting, St. George, Utah, Feb. 27, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Hand-painted magnets sit next to the initial stages of a new painting, St. George, Utah, Feb. 27, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

While she loved to draw and take photos, she never thought she would make a living as an artist. Instead, she chose the sensible route and took a job she could rely on. It wasn’t until she made the move from Salt Lake City to St. George that she transitioned from Sharpie drawings to painting on canvas. 

“Once I did, I fell in love with the color and just how the paint kind of worked with each other,” she said. “I’ve been drawn to a lot of the desert, the red cliffs, there’s this sense that drew me down here. I can feel a lot of that energy.”

When she made the decision to quit her current job, things started lining up. She was offered a job as a gallery manager at Arté Gallery and Framing and fully immersed herself in the art community.

“Seeing tons of different artists and art come through, it kind of sculpted what my vision was for my own art,” she said. “It naturally became landscapes because I’m that person that loves adventures.”

Taking professional photos at the same time, she wanted to bring her photography into her paintings. When she brought up the idea to one of her professors, he said it wasn’t possible.

“He said, ‘You have to pick one or the other, you can’t do both,’” she said. “And I was like, ‘I’m going to prove you wrong.’”

She began to look at her photography and gather inspiration, turning different landscapes into what she calls “dreamscapes.” Taking the Sharpie concept of dark outlines, she added color and found her favorite tool — a palette knife — which created movement and depth in her pieces.

A painting by Julianne Skinner titled "Subway Adventure" is pictured, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Julianne Skinner, St. George News
A painting by Julianne Skinner titled “Subway Adventure” is pictured, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Julianne Skinner, St. George News

“I’m a touchy-feely person,” she said. “So I just love the idea that you almost want to touch it or walk into it. And that’s what it created for me. I’m inspired by Mother Nature. I love to hike and capture her essence.”

She curated her own show at Arté Gallery, where she was able to showcase her work. After she had twins, she left her job at the gallery and began to showcase her art at local markets and art festivals.

“I find that I do better selling my work when I’m in person, in front of it,” she said. “I get to talk about it and connect with people through that. That’s my favorite part.”

Two original paintings and one photograph by Skinner can be seen now at the Southern Utah Art Show, “Capturing the Light”  inside the Red Cliffs Gallery. Browse Skinner’s photography and paintings in person at the upcoming St. George Market on March 11. During the St. George Art Festival, April 7-9, Skinner’s home art gallery will be open to the public. 

For more information on Julianne Skinner and her available artwork, visit her website or follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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