Rose Howard | Oil
June Color is a graceful still life that celebrates the beauty of nature through delicate color and careful composition. A bouquet of yellow and peach roses overflows from a ceramic vase, while scattered petals and a single seashell rest on a softly draped tablecloth. Subtle shading and warm tones bring the flowers to life, creating a scene of quiet elegance.
A respected Utah artist and teacher, Rose Howard Salisbury exhibited widely throughout the state and received numerous awards for her work. She taught at Irving Junior High, the Art Barn, the University of Utah, and Rowland Hall School for Girls for more than two decades. June Color reflects her talent for capturing the simple beauty of everyday objects with warmth, refinement, and attention to detail.
Eric Christensen | Oil
Acquired: June 6, 1986
Still Life was painted in May 1986 specifically for the Draper Elementary School Art Collection. While a student at the University of Utah, Christensen visited the school during its Festival of the Arts, where he presented watercolor demonstrations that inspired students with his enthusiasm, creativity, and love of art. The painting was formally presented to the school on June 6, 1986.
Commissioned by first-grade teacher David E. Reed Sr., the watercolor was intended to expand the collection’s selection of still-life paintings.Reed, who taught at Draper Elementary for eleven years, believed that original artwork could inspire creativity and used the school’s collection to introduce generations of students to the principles of art.
Speaking to the artist in June 2026, “I was surprised at how good the student questions and responses to the demonstration I gave were. It was the last painting I did for 7 years.” He indicateed he had both positive and negative feedback and paused before resuming his career as an artist.
Nell Walker Warner | Oil
Acquired: Purchased 1946
Acquired: Purchased 1946
Affinities is a beautifully composed still life that celebrates the harmony of color, texture, and light. A bouquet of yellow and orange flowers is arranged among a tarnished copper plate, a graceful copper vessel, and a delicate glass ornament. Reflections on the polished tabletop and the soft folds of drapery create a sense of warmth and elegance, while Warner’s careful attention to varied surfaces brings each object to life.
Born in Nebraska in 1891, Warner studied at the Los Angeles School of Art and Design and became an active member of Southern California’s art community. She studied with Paul Lauritz and Nicolai Fechin and later moved to Carmel, California. Best known for her floral still lifes, California landscapes, and New England harbor scenes, Warner developed a style that emphasized beauty in everyday objects. Affinities is an excellent example of her skill in creating balanced, inviting compositions filled with rich color and subtle detail.
Lee green Richard | Oil
This painting, Petunias by Lee Greene Richards, is a beautifully composed oil still life that celebrates the quiet elegance of everyday beauty. At the center of the composition is a lush bouquet of blooming petunias arranged in a dark ceramic vase, their blossoms ranging from rich crimson and deep magenta to soft pink and bright white. The flowers spill naturally outward, creating a full, rounded arrangement that contrasts with the restrained simplicity of the surrounding setting. Resting on a lace doily atop a polished wooden table, the bouquet is accompanied by a small green bowl, adding a subtle balance of color and form. Richards uses a warm, neutral background that allows the vibrant flowers to become the unmistakable focal point while soft, diffused lighting lends the scene a calm and inviting atmosphere.\
Painted in Richards’ characteristic academic style, Petunias demonstrates his mastery of color, brushwork, and composition. Although Lee Greene Richards (1878–1950) is best known for his portraits and monumental murals, he was also an accomplished painter of landscapes and still lifes, having studied at the prestigious Académie Julian and École des Beaux-Arts in Paris before returning to Utah. His floral paintings reveal the same careful observation and refined technique found in his portraiture, balancing realism with painterly expression. In Petunias, each blossom is rendered with lively brushstrokes that capture both the delicate texture of the petals and the natural movement of the bouquet, creating a work that feels both timeless and intimate. Today, paintings such as this exemplify why Richards is regarded as one of Utah’s most significant early artists and why his work remains highly valued in museum and private collections.
Ruth Wolfe Smith | Oil
Acquired: 1939
Acquired: 1939
Potted Flowers is a beautifully composed still life that highlights the elegance of everyday objects. A vibrant arrangement of flowers rests in a white ceramic pot atop a delicate lace doily, accompanied by a small decorative jar. The polished table and softly-draped window provide a perfect setting for the pot of flowers, so vivid and beautifully done that they seem to stand apart from the canvas.
Painted in 1939, this work reflects Smith’s early decorative style. A talented Utah artist, she often collaborated with her husband, Paul Smith, and fellow artist William Parkinson to create decorative paintings and handcrafted furniture for homes and businesses throughout the Salt Lake Valley. Although she later became best known for her imaginative portraiture, Potted Flowers demonstrates her skill in still-life painting and her ability to transform simple subjects into richly detailed works of art.
Artist: Unknown
Donated to Draper Elementary by Jeannie Brown, a long time resident of Draper, UT.
This painting is a romantic landscape that evokes a sense of peace, nostalgia, and quiet retreat. At the heart of the composition is a charming stone cottage nestled among towering evergreen trees and lush flowering gardens. Warm light glows from the cottage windows, suggesting comfort and hospitality, while a winding path leads the viewer’s eye into the distance toward an open meadow bathed in the soft light of dawn or dusk. In the foreground, a still pond reflects the surrounding foliage, adding depth and tranquility to the scene. A simple garden bench sits beneath a tree on the right, inviting viewers to imagine themselves pausing to enjoy the serenity of the landscape. The artist employs soft transitions of light, atmospheric perspective, and rich greens, purples, and warm earth tones to create a dreamlike, almost storybook setting.
Stylistically, the work is representative of decorative realism or romantic landscape painting, a genre that emphasizes beauty, harmony, and emotional atmosphere over depicting a specific location. The idyllic cottage, immaculate gardens, and misty forest combine to create an idealized vision of country life that appeals through its sense of escape and timelessness. The artist’s smooth blending of colors and careful attention to lighting produce an inviting composition that rewards quiet contemplation. While the signature in the lower right corner is difficult to read from this photograph, I could not confidently identify the artist or locate a documented painting matching this image through available references.
If this painting is part of the Draper Elementary Art Collection, I would recommend describing it as an example of how landscape art can inspire imagination and provide a peaceful visual refuge for students. The scene encourages viewers to appreciate the beauty of nature, the comfort of home, and the restorative qualities of quiet outdoor spaces. Its inviting composition and warm palette make it a fitting work for an educational environment, where it can inspire creativity, storytelling, and reflection.
1994 | Ian Ramsay | Watercolor
La Caille depicts the historic La Caille estate at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon in Sandy, Utah. Surrounded by flowering trees, lush gardens, and the Wasatch Mountains in the background, the painting captures the estate during the beauty of springtime.
Ramsay’s composition draws the viewer through the landscaped grounds toward the European-inspired architecture, using warm sunlight, rich greens, and vibrant pink blossoms to create a peaceful and inviting atmosphere. The carefully balanced composition reflects both the beauty of the natural landscape and the elegance of the historic building.
Ian Ramsay was born in Farnborough, Kent, England, in 1948. He spent his childhood in England and Canada before eventually settling in Utah. He earned a degree in architecture from the University of Utah and became a licensed architect before making a life-changing decision to pursue painting full-time in 1979.
His background in architecture continues to influence his artwork today. Buildings are rendered with careful perspective and structural accuracy, while his paintings are celebrated for their masterful treatment of light, atmosphere, and landscape.
Although best known as a watercolor artist, Ramsay has exhibited throughout the United States, England, and Japan and has earned an international reputation for his representational landscapes. His paintings are held in both private and public collections around the world.
Beyond painting, Ramsay has been an influential educator, teaching watercolor techniques, conducting workshops, and serving as a juror for numerous art exhibitions throughout Utah.
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