Born in vibrant Salt Lake City, Utah, Neena Plant’s journey into the world of art began against the stunning backdrop of the Wasatch Mountains. Her childhood unfolded near the downtown area before her family moved to the west side, close to the Jordan River, where her father—a passionate artist himself—nurtured her creative inclinations from an early age. He taught Neena and her siblings to draw in perspective by arranging wooden alphabet blocks, turning each in different directions to provide varied viewpoints. His artistic influence extended to weekends spent in local parks and canyons, painting watercolors with a limited palette to master the plays of light and shadow.
Neena’s passion for art was innate and unwavering, although she briefly flirted with the idea of becoming a mathematician during middle school when a teacher recognized her potential in math. However, her deep-seated desire was always to create, a passion that was particularly inspired by her father’s dedication to painting, drawing, and later, sculpting. Her grandfather, a paraplegic, also contributed to the artistic lineage of her family, winning awards for his charcoal self-portraits.
While Neena pursued a largely self-taught path, her artistic journey was supplemented by workshops and community education courses in watercolor and pottery. Upon leaving school, she embraced motherhood and diversified her career, eventually landing a graphic artist role at a major corporation’s local headquarters. But her heart never strayed far from her art, as she continued to develop her artistic career with the hopeful mantra “when I grow up,” anticipating a time when she could fully dedicate herself to her practice.
Nature inspires her work—particularly the ocean—and she also creates pieces reflecting her Utah heritage. As a watercolor artist, Neena finds joy in painting “en plein air,” capturing the immediacy of her surroundings with a loose, expressive style. Her affection for pottery has taken center stage, focusing on creating and altering forms on the potter’s wheel or through hand-building when the muse strikes.
Her creative process is often sparked by dreams or ephemeral visions glimpsed in her mind’s eye. Neena embraces an experimental approach. She uses insights from YouTube to refine pottery techniques. She likes to debunk pottery myths that are more often about equipment preservation than artistic innovation. This willingness to experiment, combined with insights from her semi-professional experience in photography and watercolor, distinctively shape her artistic offerings.
Neena’s career has seen her draw inspiration from luminaries such as Da Vinci, Van Gogh, and Dali. Da Vinci inspires with inventive spirit. Van Gogh provides emotive color work, while Dali offers intriguing thought.
As a member of the Utah Watercolor Society and Clay Arts Utah, she has actively engaged with her artistic community. Cooperative galleries featured her work, with Art at the Main as an example. Local Colors of Utah, now closed, also featured her work.
She earned a first-place award at the 2024 Utah State Fair. The honor was for a pottery sculpture of an orca. She has also received several honorable mentions in watercolor and photography competitions. Despite these acknowledgments, Neena remains humble. With no major shows or publications yet to her name, those who encounter her work consistently commend its beauty.
Outside the studio, Neena harbors interests in physics and astronomy, fields that stretch her intellectual curiosity, despite some mathematical challenges. Professionally, she blends her artistic career with work in a small medical office. Her creative problem-solving strengthens internal processes.
Neena’s art reflects her deeply-held values and ambitions. Her goal is to become a full-time artist with work substantial enough to supplement her retirement. She believes in the profound influence of art on society, highlighting how it enriches our existence beyond functionality or aesthetics. Her journey continues as she strives to make art an integral component of her life and legacy. She aspires to contribute vibrancy, meaning, and beauty to the world.
In December of 2021, Neena became a member of
Art at the Main
210 E 400 South
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111-2804
with wheel-thrown and hand-sculpted pottery.
Since relocating to Washington state, Neena severed ties with Art at the Main, but still remain on friendly terms. Check them out if you’re in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah
If you’re in the Ogden Utah area, you can also check out Neena’s pottery in person at:
Beehive Naturals
186 25th Street
Ogden Utah 84401
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