Artists of Big Cottonwood Canyon
Numerous artists, both professional and amateur, are fortunate enough to call Big Cottonwood Canyon home either full or part-time. Some draw direct inspiration from the beautiful natural surroundings, while others find it a peaceful place to explore a variety of subjects. Several of artists are involved with the Institute, creating events that promote the arts and art education in the canyon.
Carolyn keigley
Carolyn was born and raised in the Rockies of Utah and has also lived in the Tahoe area and in the mountain of British Columbia. She currently has her studio at top of Big Cottonwood Canyon in Brighton, Utah. Carolyn received her B.A. and M.A. at the University of California at Santa Barbara and Davis campus’ and at Humboldt State University. She had the opportunity of studying with international artists such as Wayne Thiebold, R.C. Gorman, William T. Willey, and Roy Deforest.
lisa benson engelhard
Lisa has enjoyed exposure to art and design through her studies in landscape architecture and her many years of practice in the field. She has always jumped at the opportunity to get out in nature, to savor the breathtaking natural landscapes and to take in the intricate details of the beautiful plant life which graces those landscapes. Taking the first step into oil painting felt like a natural progression for Lisa, with the gifts of mother nature as her inspiration. She has been blessed to make this transition under the gentle guidance of renowned artist Susan Gallacher, owner of King's Gallery and Academy of Art.
lise sorensen brunhart
Originally trained as a luthier ( VMSA,class of ’81 ), Lise Sorensen Brunhart is both a visual artist and musician, while working as a cell biologist at University of Utah’s Program in Molecular Medicine.
Artistically she works in watercolor, wood block printing, and oil media. Her images are inspired by nature and primitive folk art. In music, she performs on flute and on a viola of her own making in classical ensembles (Wasatch Fault String quartet, Elegance String Trio), and in eclectic improvisational music (Ensemble Que Faire).
Keith stebbings
Keith is an amateur artist who began his artistic exploration during the pre-Bob Ross era of Bill Alexander (c1978 PBS). He began expressing himself with a palette knife, but has now moved almost entirely into the use of brushes. He renders a multitude of subjects with pencil, charcoal and oil. He is not yet settled on any one medium, although he is particularly well-versed in the use of oils. Keith heartily embraces the challenges that come with painting outdoors (En Plein Air), and is a thoughtful painter who continually works to gain experience and develop more confidence in his artistic skills.
Keith is an avid backcountry skier and travels extensively in summer as a retiree. He makes his home in Brighton which also houses his studio. He volunteers with the Brighton Institute as a Guide for the Brighton History Tour and is a member of the Big Cottonwood Canyon Historical Society.
JOHN McCARTHY
Silver Fork resident John McCarthy has been photographing construction sites in downtown Salt Lake City for the last ten years. “By their very nature, construction sites are dangerous workplaces filled with unlit passages and lots of exposed steel and equipment. To lessen the chance for accidents, construction sites are filled with a multitude of colors to offset danger and keep workers alert. Combined, the colors and angles make great photographs in a land that was never meant to be recorded. I take a series of 5 panoramic exposures at once and combine them digitally into one photograph.” John’s work can be found in Salt Lake Magazine, the Rare Book Collection of the University of Utah and the Utah Historical Society. One of the most unexpected outcomes of his project was that he was given his own Dewey Decimal number for this type of publication.
He says canyon living is as close to heaven as you can get, but it’s a challenge to record. “Capturing nature’s random placement keeps me on my feet searching for the right angle and color spray. In winter, the palate of color dips to blue, white and darker shades. Access to the “easy” photo is covered by snow. So, the cabin interior is my stage for post-production work. I have a stack of firewood next to my window that’s the central feeding point for all my forest friends--birds, squirrels, ermine, moose. The downtown study resulted in a collection of over 600 images to tell its story. It will take at least another 600 or more photos to complete the canyon story too!”
If you are a canyon artist and would like to be featured on this page, please contact the Brighton Institute webmaster.