BRIGHAM CITY, Utah — It has been five years since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, throwing our country and the world into a state of uncertainty.
However, for one Utahn, that uncertainty became a springboard for creativity, resulting in beautiful works of art.
You’ve heard of Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, and Gardner...
What? You don’t recognize the work of Dr. Joel Gardner? Well, this Utahn might pique your artistic curiosity.
“I am just kind of taking different paints and seeing what happens in a reaction with different chemicals," Gardner said. “I experiment with different processes to see what happens as it interacts with the paint.”
In his home studio in Brigham City, he is pouring out his creativity.
“I think my favorite part of the process for me is when I show people and they fall in love with it,” he said.
While he has been creating in some form for most of his life, Gardner admits that it wasn't until 2020 that his passion turned into a necessity.
"Going back five years, I think it was a challenge for everybody," he recalled.
The pandemic was especially difficult for Gardner, whose true artistry lies not in painting but in being an anesthesiologist at MountainStar's Brigham City Community Hospital.
“Every day was about figuring out how to get through that day, then how to get through that month, and how to get through that year,” he explained.
With fatigue and burnout, painting became a way for him to cope.
“If you can find something that restores you and refills your bucket, then do it,” he said.
For an anesthesiologist-turned-artist, his command of chemistry and color helps him better serve his patients.
“One of the mediums that I choose to paint on is a mirror,” he said. "That gives me a moment of reflection on where I am in the process of medicine with a patient.”
While you might look at his current work and marvel, Gardner admits that some of his earlier paintings were a work in progress.
“Initially, there was a lot that wasn’t beautiful,” he said. “But that was the challenge, and that was the fun.”
With each painting, he improved, and things got a little brighter.
As a part of his journey, he adopted the name “Prescriptive Fine Arts” as a nod to his background.
In true doctor fashion, he even uses a syringe to create his works.
“I’ve probably done about 100 [paintings] or so," Gardner said.
At that point, I looked around his studio alone, where there were far more than 100 pieces.
“Well, that's 100 that I would want them,” he joked in response.
Nonetheless, that’s all part of the fun — bringing beauty out of troubled times.
“We’re all individuals. If we come together with a common thread and a common purpose, then the beauty is there as we complete that process together,” Gardner states.
And who knows, maybe one day this uniquely Utah artist will be as well-known as the masters — that is, if he can let them go.
But if you see this and get inspired, especially in the wake of the last five years, Gardner's advice is: “Do it! Find your passion!”
If you want to check out more of his work, you can find him at his website: prescriptiveart.com.
Uniquely Utah
