Thornton Gallery

03/28/2026

We are in transition relocating to Orlando, Florida. We’ll keep you posted for when Thornton Gallery will officially reopen: a new chapter from the great American Southwest deserts to the topical Florida seasides and sunshine.

02/13/2025

https://www.facebook.com/wendy.leslie.980/posts/welcome-to-villa-solar%C3%A9-located-in-southern-utah-this-beautiful-italian-inspired/9846984112024460/

05/03/2023

Day 7: Seasonal Miniatures, "Fall" and "Winter", oil on panel
I was nominated by my talented wife Zuleica Thornton to present a piece of my artwork every day for 10 days. This is number seven of my ten art pieces.

05/02/2023

Day 6: Stolen From A Storage Shed, oil on panel
I was nominated by my talented wife Zuleica Thornton to present a piece of my artwork every day for 10 days. This is number six of my ten art pieces.
This is one of my earlier paintings, created back when I signed my name with Dan on top of Thornton tilting the lettering at a slight angle. Unfortunately, when this only photograph was taken, the bottom part of the painting was out of frame chopping off almost all of the signature. I gave this painting to my Aunt Patty when she lived in Wyoming. Sometime after moving from Wyoming she had to put many of her personal belongings in a storage unit. The unit was robbed, and this painting was stolen. Not remembering what title I may have given this piece when it was painted, I now call it, "Stolen From A Storage Shed".

05/01/2023

Day 5: Tuscan Tower by a Lake, oil on panel
I was nominated by my talented wife Zuleica Thornton to present a piece of my artwork every day for 10 days. This is number five of my ten art pieces

05/01/2023

Day 4: Fruita, Utah around 1900 (today known as Fruita Rural Historic District, Capitol Reef National Park), oil on panel
I was nominated by my talented wife Zuleica Thornton to present a piece of my artwork every day for 10 days. This is number four of my ten art pieces.

05/01/2023

Day 3: American Southwestern Farmland, oil on panel
I was nominated by my talented wife Zuleica Thornton to present a piece of my artwork every day for 10 days. This is number three of my ten art pieces.

04/29/2023

Day 2: Eastern Plains to the Rockies, oil on panel
I was nominated by my talented wife Zuleica Thornton to present a piece of my artwork every day for 10 days. 10 images, no explanations - sharing the artists' passion.

04/27/2023

Day 1: La Costa Adriatica, oil on panel
I was nominated by my talented wife Zuleica Thornton to present a piece of my artwork every day for 10 days. 10 images, no explanations - sharing the artists' passion.

04/25/2023

02/20/2023

"La Dogana, Venezia" 11x14 in. oil on board, the other piece to the Venetian pair, painted en plein air many years ago. This scene portrays the old Venetian Customs (La Dogana); and to the left of the Dogana stands the majestic Church of the Mother of Health (La Chiesa della Madonna della Salute) also referred to as the Church of Saint Mary of Health. Sometimes shortened to "The Church of Health", this beautiful Basilica was constructed and dedicated as a monument to Venice's deliverance from the Black Plague that devastated Venice in 1630. Ground was broken in 1631, and the Church was completed in 1687. The architecture is exquisite! Fortunately, the masons and craftsmen who constructed this monumental work in architecture didn't leave anything out of their fine detail and workmanship like we so often do abbreviating our names, words, and sentences to mere acronyms and short phrases.

04/09/2022

Many years ago, I painted this scene in Venice, Italy en plein air. My location was on the quay of San Giorgio, one of the beautiful Venetian islands where stands La Chiesa di San Giorgio. I set my easel on the stone pavement at the water edge overlooking La Giudecca, Venezia's wide channel where large cruise ships can safely enter the lagoon waters. My view was toward il Palazzo Ducale, il Campanile di San Marco, and La Torre dell'Orologio. The interesting side story to arriving at this outdoor painting spectacular was carrying my portable Van D**e art box/easel, brushes, oil paints and a small can of TURPENTINE on board the flight to Venice. It happened years ago -- before the heightened security enforced upon airline travelers.