Jeffery R. Pugh: Mormon Artist
Jeffery R. Pugh is primarily a landscape artist but also paints figures. As a child, he often painted watercolors with his grandmother whenever he visited her. He took his first oil painting class at the University of Utah and in 2004 earned a bachelor’s degree in painting and drawing. In 2008 he was able to quit his day job and then pushed through a lean six months before he sold a large painting at Springville, Utah’s Spring Salon art show, which was the point for him to fully transition into painting for a living. In 2014 he was honored with Southwest Art Magazine’s “Emerging Young Artist” award.
Pugh’s father-in-law artist Gary Ernest Smith taught him the technique of pallet knife or trowel painting, which had not been encouraged during his training at the U of U. “It felt like a part of my hand and was not uncomfortable for me.” The technique is now his preference. His paintings are collected nationally and he exhibits throughout western galleries.
He and his wife, Julia, are the parents of three children. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
