Theresa Otteson

Theresa Otteson was born in Provo, Utah and lived in California, Illinois, and Utah as a child. She was blessed with a boringly normal well-adjusted childhood full of love. After high school she attended Utah State University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology. She met her husband there and had two beautiful daughters. She soon found she couldn’t live without her art so she attended the University of Utah where she graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Art. She immediately moved to Germany where she travelled, drew, painted, and visited many of the European museums. After three years she moved to Utah where she worked as the Education Coordinator for the Bountiful/Davis Art Center for three years. She now works in her studio, exhibits, and teaches group and private lessons.

ARTIST STATEMENT
I have found that my work is not about expressing or addressing ideas or issues. My art focuses on color and shapes. I will not choose to paint something unless the combination of colors and shapes appeal to me. Color is a very expressive element and can be made to represent a wide range of moods. It can be rich and vibrant or soft and subtle. I enjoy being able to recreate scenes from life that can be simple yet evocative. I believe that even the most seemingly mundane things are intriguing and are often deep in their simplicity and I seek to capture that..  For me art is not solely about others’ enjoyment or approval, art is about my own creative process and the enjoyment it gives me. Some of the best moments for me while painting, are when the colors and forms work together to make a subject come alive.