Normally a figurative painter, Irene Rampton wondered what would happen if she let her mind and paint brush meander. The results can be seen at Salt Lake’s Patrick Moore Gallery.

Rampton started small with her experimental pieces. On 12-inch square pieces of gesso-coated watercolor paper, she used acrylic paint and bits of collage paper in a generally circular, meandering compositional structure. She first chose yellow as her predominant color, then switched to blue, and finally to red.

As she worked she began to see orbital patterns and decided to group them into the solar (yellow) series, lunar (blue) series, and mars (red) series. Ranging in size from 6 x 9 inches to 22 x 28, and framed similarly in simple, classy frames, her show looks beautiful hanging on the white walls of Patrick Moore’s main gallery.

Through October 12, visitors can stand in the middle and let the sun, moon, and mars orbit around them, becoming the center of Rampton’s colorful universe.

Patrick Moore Gallery is at 2233 S 700 E, Salt Lake City, UT.  Call for hours (801-484-6641). You can view the artist’s figurative paintings at her website: www.ireneramptonart.com.

Sue Martin

Sue Martin holds an M.A. in Theatre and has worked in public relations. As an artist, she works in watercolor, oil, and acrylic to capture Utah landscapes or the beauty of everyday objects in still life.