J.R. Johansen had been painting portraits for 30 years, and just finished a successful exhibit, when he realized it wasn't enough.
"The thought came to me that there's something more I can do than just paint portraits and sell them," said Johansen. "I want to do something good."
He began creating pastel portraits of children who were diagnosed with cancer or other serious illnesses, or who had passed away, and presenting them to their families.
"Angels Among Us," an exhibit of the portraits, opens with a reception from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Ogden Valley Branch of the Weber County Library. Johansen will be on hand to answer questions about his art, and family members will be there to talk about their children.
"The parents are so excited about having their child's portrait on display, and meeting with people and talking about their ordeal," said the Huntsville artist. "That seems to be where their joy comes from ... talking to people about their children and their challenges."
Johansen hopes the exhibit will help people feel free to talk to someone who's lost a child, or has a child who is ill.
"It's so challenging for people. It's uncomfortable walking across the street and talking to someone who has a child who's just been diagnosed with leukemia," he said.
Johansen says one of the children he painted passed away three years ago, and the little girl's grandparents have not even been able to talk to the mother and father about the loss.
"And they so want to talk to somebody about it," he said of the parents. "So even in families, it's a difficult thing to talk about, let alone outside of the family. People think, 'What do I say to this person? What can I possibly say that can help that, or how can I convey my thoughts?' I just hope some conversations will take place after this."
The gift of art
Johansen started by creating a portrait of his niece, who was diagnosed with liver cancer, as a gift to her parents.
Soon, he was finding more children who had died, or who had been diagnosed with childhood diseases.
"I'd like to be able to find other children and continue doing this," he said.
And he doesn't just give them to parents.
"I came up with this idea to just give a portrait away to a child ... with the hopes of maybe increasing their life span," he said.
"The kids who are alive have already seen their portraits, and I got a hug from them," said Johansen. "That's worth a thousand times the money I would have gotten if I charged."
PREVIEW
l WHAT: Pastel portraits by J.R. Johansen of Huntsville
l WHEN: Opens with a reception 5-8 p.m. Wednesday; continues 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 1-5 p.m. Sundays, through Feb. 10
l WHERE: Ogden Valley Branch Library, 131 S. 7400 East, Huntsville
l ADMISSION: Free; (801) 745-2660
l ADDITIONAL EXHIBIT: Rocks, gems and fossils collected by members of the Beehive Rock and Gem Club, also on display through Feb. 10.
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