Francis Zimbeaux's "Boats in Harbor" oil on canvas was painted in 1962 and is part of the "Artists In Memoriam" exhibit now at the Springville Museum of Art.

Exhibit features four of Utah's fine artists

A new exhibit at the Springville Museum of Art, "In Memoriam," features the artwork of four recently deceased artists who, during their lives, significantly contributed to Utah art. They are H Lee Deffebach, Wallace Lee, Ed Maryon and Francis Zimbeaux.

This exhibition is currently on display at the museum through October 15, along with "The Photography of Bob Hills," "Town and Country; The Painterly Visions of Karen Horne and Phyllis F. Horne," and "Painters of the North; Popov, Semenyuk and Stozharov Retrospective."

Lee Deffebach

"Music, poems, landscapes and dogs make me want to paint, and painting is what I live for," said Lee Deffebach during her life.

Born in Houston, Texas, she remember colors in white snow flakes, a dark green coat sleeve, yellow leaves and a favorite red cup and toothbrush.

She moved with her parents to Salt Lake City and continued her love of color in high school art classes. She finished up her BFA at the University of Utah studying under Alvin Gittins and George Dibble. LeConte Stewart taught her how to arrange a palette which she said helped her immeasurably through out her life.

After college she headed for New York and into abstract impressionism. Her long career included Abstract impressionism in the '50's, Pop art in the '60s' and Color field in the '70's. She traveled the world gaining color experience where ever she alighted. She would paint on any appropriate surface including wood, paper, canvas, rusty tin and welded metal to name a few.

Her paintings are alive with color and nuances to be felt by the viewer and not imposed by her. In Lee's eyes, Life in Painting!

Wallace Lee

Wallace Lee was an artist, dentist and Mayor of Panguitch, Utah.

In his youth he loved painting and drawing. After high school he went to Southern Utah University (formerly the Branch Agricultural College) where the practical side of life intervened and he chose dentistry over his love of art. After 32 years as a dentist he started his art career. He and his wife moved to St George where he took classes and worked at living his dream- art-- full-time.

His art has won many prizes in Western art shows at Jackson Hole, San Diego, Dixie and Cedar City. He was invited to teach at Dixie State College and was a signature member of the Nevada Watercolor Society.

He painted mostly in watercolor but was also adept at pastels and oil painting. His main subjects were southwestern landscapes and some portraiture.

Ed Maryon

Born in Salt Lake City, Ed Maryon received his BFA and MFA from the University of Utah. Teaching at the U of U, he was eventually promoted to Dean of the College of Fine Arts. Each summer he taught an annual watercolor workshop in Monterey, California.

Casual observers of his paintings would think he created collage or mosaics with flat colors, but careful inspection shows the areas to be broken up with subtle lines and fascinating realistic designs. If you could cut his works up into smaller squares you would find each area to be a small individual painting. Lots of intricate detail is found in those larger watercolor works.

His pen and ink sketches are what lead to his finished paintings. The sketches themselves are worthy of gallery status. His paintings produce a cool and reflective mood.

Francis Zimbeaux

Born in Paris, France, on Bastille Day in 1913, Francis Zimbeaux traveled throughout Europe before moving to the United States. Upon arriving in America, he first lived in Missouri for 11 years and then moved to Utah in 1926. Zimbeaux studied at both the Art Barn School, and at the University of Utah with LeConte Stewart and Alvin Gittins.

At the age of 18, Zimbeaux joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, where he was able to work outdoors and indulge in his love of nature. This love can be seen in the tonal landscapes for which he is known. Yet his artistic subject matter is not limited specifically to this genre. He is also well-known for his paintings of the female nude and allegorical works. In addition, he has depicted mythological scenes, religious images, street scenes, as well as some portraits.

Throughout his career, his work has been exhibited in numerous shows throughout the West. His artwork is found throughout the country in various private collections.

His obvious passion for his artwork was clear to all with whom he associated, and he continued to paint daily when he was in his nineties.

Come and enjoy these exhibitions at the Springville Museum of Art. Museum hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5, Wednesday, 10-9, and Sunday, 3-6. Closed Mondays and Holidays. Admission is free.

This story appeared in The Springville Herald on page A8.