Seascape

In Connie Madsen's delicately rendered seascape, waves crash on the shore of a beautifully stormtossed sea. On the cliffs above, a staunch lighthouse holds vigil over a moonlit ocean, keeping a ship that has appeared on the horizon safe from the rocky coastline. Despite the potential danger, the glowing clouds in the center of the composition give the scene a feeling of safety and a beautiful kind of vigilance. Madsen's treatment of the moonlight glowing in the clouds, and shining through the waves, is deft and luminous. The painting feels full of color, though she's limited her colors to a nighttime palette which includes a rich spectrum of blues, turquoise, aquas, yellow, and hints of lilac.

Connie Madsen was born and raised in Bountiful, Utah, where she met her husband. She took a painting class from the University of Utah and really loved it. But the marriage and six children came along, "and painting was the least thing on my mind," Madsen says. The family moved to Coalville, and about ten years later, almost by accident, she took a painting class with Carol France. "A friend invited me to watch her paint at Carol France's little studio for oil painters," Madsen says. "Carol must have thought I was there to paint because she handed me a canvas and taught me everything I know." Madsen has been painting ever since. She enjoys painting just about anything, and has won multiple awards in art shows throughout the years, her favorites being Copper Plate and People's Choice awards from the Summit County Fair. She shares her talent with others by teaching painting classes to youth.

1995 Commissioner Award