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Provo artist Russell Ricks is pictured.

Courtesy Russell Ricks

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Lehi artist Brian Cragun is pictured.

Courtesy Russell Ricks

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Lehi’s Brian Cragun and Provo’s Russell Ricks each took unique paths to become professional artists.

Cragun’s artistic capability didn’t manifest itself until he was 40, while Ricks’ painting journey started when he was young.

But both men have grown into passionate and experienced plein air painters, and they recently teamed up for a joint art show to showcase their talents in a unique environment.

Selected through the Intermountain Society of Artists, Ricks’ and Cragun’s exhibit, titled “Light and Resiliency,” is on display at the Left Fork Grill in South Salt Lake City.

“I have known Russ for a long time and like his art, and we feel that our art is very compatible in terms of style, and we both like plein air,” Cragun said. “And I knew that I needed more than just me to be able to fill the number of walls that they had there. So, we went in together, and I think together we have a really strong show.”

Cragun was a software engineer living in Minnesota when he connected with professional artists Marc Hanson and Kami Mendlik-Polzin. Through their mentorship, Cragun developed an appreciation for painting on site — or plein air — and has pursued the practice ever since.

The six-year Lehi resident has traveled around the state capturing beautiful scenes, painting them in person on an 8-by-10-inch canvas and then later replicating his work onto a larger canvas.

The restaurant exhibit includes a painting Cragun captured of a rain storm near Kamas, along with a handful of other works.

He considers painting a fulfilling hobby that helps him escape the interruptions that life brings.

“When you go out and paint on location, there’s no reason to get interrupted,” Cragun said. “And, in fact, a lot of places that you go to, you can’t be interrupted. You might not even have phone service. So it becomes a very linear, peaceful time, and it’s really a great way to be involved in nature.”

Ricks followed in his family’s footsteps into the plein air painting world. When he was a kid, his father started something called “painting vacations,” where he would hold summer art camps, painting in areas around the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole and attracting famous artists like Sergey Bondarev.

Art has been a source of inspiration throughout Ricks’ life ever since, and he’s tackled several large projects, including painting an indoor mural for Cabella’s.

Ricks’ ability comes despite him suffering from a rare condition called Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, which impacts the development of nerve fibers connecting the left and right side of his brain.

The condition went undiagnosed for the first 50 years of his life, Ricks said, and impacted him socially, causing him some significant challenges as a youngster. Since the diagnoses, though, the 67-year-old said he’s thrived in his art career.

“I have a good wife and also my stepkids who help keep me in line, and they love me, and I’ve just been really blessed,” he said. “And I have a great arts community around me who loves me and supports me.”

Ricks hopes the art inside the restaurant exhibit will display the resilience he’s developed in his life as an artist.

“Artists can get discouraged, yes, but you have to pick up that brush and continue,” he said. “You have to be resilient no matter what. And we get discouraged, but you cannot let that stop you. You have to let your passion keep you going.”