Jeff Worthington

Wheat Ridge, Colorado - United States

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ARTIST STATEMENT

Ever since I was a child I have always been what people consider creative. From playing in tempera paints on craft paper to painting 6’X8’ acrylic paintings on stretched canvas. My subject matter varies but my landscapes usually have clouds and they have almost become a hallmark of my paintings.

As my passion grew for painting I took up photography to take pictures of scenes I wanted to paint. I just happened that since what I was photographing was well composed the photographs became award winners as well. I have even integrated painting with photography by printing parts of a photo onto watercolor paper and painting in the remaining colors. It is a technique used long before there were color photographs that I have reincarnated in some of my art.

My inspiration for my work is usually spontaneous when painting or out and about with my cameras. I utilize highlight and shadows in an unconscious way to invoke a sense of motion especially in my clouds and water. Frequently the comment is made to me asking if I know that my clouds are moving in one of my painting and I take that as a sincere compliment.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Worthington was born in 1966 in what was then the small town of Lancaster, California which is part of the Mojave Desert. California offered an infinite amount of inspiration considering within a short drive one could enjoy the grandeur of the Sierra Nevada Mountains with Mount Whitney over looking Death Valley to the scenic Pacific coast line.

At the age of 4 years old Worthington’s grandmother entered a preschool painting project in the L.A. County Fair in the age group 1-12 year old children. The simple painting that was derived from blowing a puddle of tempera paint to form branches of a bush. Worthington then took his paint brush and painted bright yellow flowers with blue centers at the end of the stems of the blow painting. Worthington took best of the show for his age group beating out close to a hundred other entries. From there Worthington’s talent were nourished and encouraged by his family throughout his youth.

Lancaster (The Antelope Valley) was home to several artists with a few notable ones being, Ralph Love, Walt Lee, Penny Ann Cross, and Doug Oliver who all inspired Worthington to continue his painting. At the age of 14 Worthington once again took best of the show at the fair and his piece sold for a hundred-fifty dollars to an admirer of his distinctive style. It was also in that year that Worthington took an interest in photography. Worthington would take photos of scenes that he wanted to paint in the future and considering he had an artistic eye the composition of the photographs made them award winning. In 1984 then Governor Jerry Brown awarded Worthington with the California Student Achievement Award for having achieved the highest credentials of any other California student in any curriculum for his photography while also taking numerous awards for his paintings.

Worthington continued his painting throughout his adulthood while working in both the television and motion picture industries, until a motorcycle accident required him to reevaluate his passion for painting and photography. Consequently Worthington relocated from California to the small town of Fruita Colorado in 1989 where he set out to have his work represented by galleries. As fate had it this took him to one of Vail Colorado’s premier art galleries where he quickly established himself as an artist. Worthington was later invited to Aspen Colorado, Scottsdale Arizona, and Beverly Hills California galleries until a devastating personal event made him unable to keep up with the demand of the galleries for his paintings. It was not until after repeated requests from Worthington’s friends and colleagues that Worthington returned to enjoying painting and producing art once again.