Some art festivals try to do it all -- but with craft activities, live bands blasting everything from rap to opera, and the smell of crepes and pizza wafting through the air, you might just miss the art.
That's not the way it is at the Redstone Art Fair, coming this weekend to Park City.
The Redstone Art Fair is described as an outdoor art gallery; a jury selects artists from across the country. The variety of work available runs from $25 artist-made jewelry to $30,000 sculptures.
"It's mostly fine art," said Keith Dabb, a Plain City artist who has been part of the fair since it started three years ago. "A lot of people who came the first year were kind of surprised. ... They were thinking it was going to be craft stuff, but were quite pleased to find out there was some real nice artwork here."
The fair is produced by a national company, Howard Alan Events, based in Florida. "Typically, when it's a fine arts show, it's straight fine art -- there are no crafters," said AnaBelle Dweck, publicist for the company.
There aren't loud bands, either.
"He could have some background music, something that wouldn't interfere with the mood," Dweck said of Alan. "He doesn't want to detract from the artwork itself."
Several Utah artists are participating in the fair, including two locals. Keith Dabb is back for his third year, and Brad Carlin, a photographer from Roy, is making his Redstone debut.
Keith Dabb's paintings
"I'll have some landscapes and some animals," Dabb said of the oil paintings he's showing.
His landscapes run the gamut from images of pioneer homes in winter to modern homes surrounded by summer flowers, and from formal gardens to quaking aspens in the mountains.
Many of the artist's paintings are inspired by his travels, including pieces depicting the Tuscany region of Italy. The animals he paints are also based on his travel photos and experiences.
"I've painted a lot of bears lately," Dabb said. "We have a place in Island Park, Idaho, and I go up to Yellowstone three to four times a year."
Creating art came naturally to Dabb.
"Even when I was young, I was always doing some type of artwork," he said. "I guess it's just kind of always been there. ... I had a grandmother who painted -- she actually painted until she was close to 90 years old, but I don't know if that influenced me."
By sixth grade, he was doing special art projects at the teacher's request.
"I got into college, and I was actually working on a couple of different degrees," he said. "I kept taking art classes because I like them, and before I knew it, I had a degree in art. Then I decided to get a teaching certificate to go along with it."
Dabb taught art in Weber County schools for about 30 years. Now retired, he sells his art in local galleries and at art fairs.
"I've been up to Colorado, and down to Arizona," he said. "I've been going to Arizona for the last seven winters, doing art shows there."
After all these years, making art is still exciting to him.
"I'm enjoying what I'm doing now," Dabb said. "Some paintings you fight, and others just kind of almost fall on the canvas -- that's when it's best, when it just falls on the canvas."
Brad Carlin's photos
Brad Carlin discovered the beauty of the great outdoors at a young age, and he's turned that love of nature into a photography business.
Like Dabb, he's mostly exhibiting landscapes and wildlife images. All animals are fascinating to Carlin, but he's partial to mule deer.
"They're just challenging to photograph, and to sneak up on," he said.
Carlin tries to get as close to the animals as possible.
"I get in full camo, and sit and wait or spot and sneak," he said. "I sit in a tree stand or brush, and I have a blind I use sometimes, but I like to be a little more mobile to be part of it."
One of his most memorable experiences was photographing a pack of wolves.
"Just to see how they react and bond together ... it was incredible to watch," he said. "Like other animals, they all have their little personalities."
Some people love wolves, and others hate or fear them, Carlin said. He loved being close to them, but admits it's a little intimidating.
"It definitely gets the hairs standing up a little bit," he said. "But I love the outdoors, and I'd rather take my chances in the mountains than on the highway."
While Dabb is enjoying his retirement from being a schoolteacher, Carlin is working to enter the profession. He's mostly a self-taught photographer, but is taking classes at Weber State University and working toward a teaching degree.
"I've photographed for 20 years, and been in business for 11," he said. "I love to share my experiences and my work, and figure if I can share with some high school-level teenagers, that's great -- that would definitely be fulfilling."