As a person with Mormon pioneer heritage, my connection with Utah has been strong since I was a child. I wanted to incorporate the disciplines of my ancestors that lived in Utah into my contribution for this website. Most of my work was learning about myself, my own abilities, and honoring those who came before me. I decided to focus on two of my ancestors, my great grandfather, William Lee Stokes, and John Hafen, a distant relative.
William Lee Stokes was a geologist and paleontologist best known for his work at the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry in Emery County, Utah. There he discovered many specimens that are displayed in over 40 museums around the world, with one being named after him, Stokesosaurus. He taught at the University of Utah for 33 years and is considered the father of Utah geology. John Hafen immigrated to the United States from Switzerland and demonstrated artistic abilities at a young age. As he progressed in his art, he was sent on a special "mission" by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to study art in France. With the knowledge he obtained in France, he returned to Utah to assist in painting the murals inside the Salt Lake City temple. He completed various works of Utah landscapes throughout his career. |
I have incorporated both disciplines of my ancestors in two paintings that have been painted using pigments derived from minerals found in the state of Utah. Utah has a rich geological diversity, providing a literal rainbow of pigment colors to be used in paint making. Each mineral was ground up, mixed with linseed oil and applied to stretched canvas. Both paintings have been inspired by the artist's personal experiences of Utah lake's beauty and the grandeur of the state of Utah.