Capturing Nature's Essence: The Artistry of Downy Doxey-Marshall
Updated: Apr 30
Downy Doxey-Marshall, originally from Salt Lake City and now based in Orem, Utah, is an experienced artist whose creative journey spans over thirty years. Throughout her career, she has explored various artistic mediums, including watercolor, oil paint, egg tempera, pigmented ink, embroidery on raw linen, and mixed media. Currently, her focus lies in producing large-scale oil paintings on canvas, drawing inspiration from the captivating beauty of landscapes. Her recent exhibitions include showcases in Luxembourg, Madrid, Spain, and Galerie Bettina in Paris, France.
In April 2024, she presented "Bloom," an exhibition featuring thirteen paintings at the Finch Lane Gallery, situated in Salt Lake City, Utah, and managed by the Salt Lake City Arts Council.
According to the artist, "Spring is the subject, but it is not the reason. I’m interested in showing marks made by my own hand. I like what I’ve made because of the way it looks. It’s about looking at paint, and feeling, and not about talking."
In her exhibitions, including "Bloom," Downy Doxey-Marshall demonstrates subtle yet genuine emotional responses to her subjects, reflecting her shifting feelings, often oscillating between solemnity and exuberance. Her oil paintings, typically large in scale, predominantly focus on bodies of water and the luxuriant foliage surrounding them, rather than the underlying earth formations. These are real places she has frequented, often accompanied by her husband, Todd Marshall, and she represents them using a diverse array of techniques.
Her artworks, blending elements of landscape and botanical studies, exude a distinct atmosphere, with paint flowing over the canvas akin to sunlight over water. The viewer is invited to immerse themselves in these scenes, experiencing the elemental truth of the land. Up close, the viewer encounters raw materials and the craft of manipulation, while from a distance, nature is restored to its pristine condition through the artist's luminous skill.
Doxey-Marshall's canvases range from intricately detailed, heavily painted passages to delicate washes where the canvas surface becomes an integral part of the final artwork. Despite the expressive quality of her painting, her illusionistic skill is evident throughout, seamlessly blending what she saw with how she painted it.
Art writer Geoff Wichert notes the relevance of Doxey-Marshall's work in the context of contemporary climate changes, suggesting that her pieces like "Wish for Spring" evoke a longing for the traditional rejuvenation Spring once heralded after harsh winters, which may be less pronounced due to milder winters in lower Utah.
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