Ye Old Artist
Eric has been accused — largely from himself — of being an old man in a younger man’s body. He loves the gray-haired crowd, and he relates to them as one of the few young folk artists in the country. His patriotism and love of old-fashioned family values led him to the folk style.
“I grew up in a patriotic and community-minded family,” he says. “We would go weed the park because my parents couldn’t imagine all 12 of us kids sitting still. That’s an older way of thinking, but I still carry that philosophy.”
He continues to admire the farming community — he raises chickens and peacocks on his property — and he says he doesn’t worry about competition coming up in the folk art or puzzle arena except for one scenario.
“As soon as a dairy farmer becomes a folk artist, I’m nervous,” he says. “Them are the hardest workers. What’s the difference between a dairy farmer and a guy in prison? The guy in prison doesn’t have to milk cows.”
Joking aside, hard work is a trait Eric admires, teaches and emulates. He tells his children that the world is not waiting for the smartest person — it’s waiting for the hardest worker.

Unwrapping Christmas
With a large and frugal family, Christmas expectations in Eric’s youth were minimal.
“I remember getting last year’s Christmas presents again — aren’t these the same wooden blocks from before? But this time Dad sanded them down!” he jokes.
He also remembers seeing his future wardrobe on his brothers.
“Hey, don’t mess up that shirt. It’s going to be mine!” he recalls. “We were 10 boys, and Christmas was about food.”
The big family had little room for art or art supplies.
“We had food, and that’s all we cared about,” he says. “If there was room for a picture on the wall, there was room for a shelf of bottled jam.”
He and his wife, Deb, like to “top” each other’s stories of growing up as the 10th children in two large families. Eric refers to them both as the “tithing child,” which was also a trait of Ben Franklin.
“The tithing or entitlement child back then was sent to the best schools and given great opportunities because his life was supposed to be a donation to society,” Eric says. “Anything Ben Franklin invented, he gave away.”
Although the Dowdles do keep a living to provide for their family, their abundance mentality has been good for business. When other artists utilize Dowdle Folk Art to print or distribute their art, there are no messy contracts.
“If we do a good job for you, then we hope you’ll stay,” Eric says. “If we don’t, good luck to you. I’ve made enough mistakes signing contracts in my life, that I don’t want to do that to other people.”

Home for the holidays
The 2011 holiday landscape at the Dowdles will be simple. When Eric and Deb aren’t out meeting the public and selling art and puzzles, they love to be together with their blended family.
“We like to create memories, and we often do it through staycations,” he says. The family eats together and plays together — and does puzzles together.
“It’s my research and development,” he says.
Another of Eric’s favorite traditions is getting together with his brothers and their families around Thanksgiving.
“Our extended family is full of good people and good kids, and it’s our favorite tradition to get together with them,” Eric says.

Path of painting
Eric’s own “folk art” of life involved living in Boise, Rexburg and Boston, the later being the genesis of his folk art career.
“On the East Coast, folk art is big,” he says. “But I was reluctant at first because I had been painting realism. I had grown up in a family where if art didn’t look like a photo, it wasn’t good art.”
Eric’s paintings aren’t photo-like or drawn to scale. And don’t call them cartoons either — that’s an insult to this artist that takes his “folks” seriously.
He’s also not one to insult other artists. Some of his local favorites include Michael Coleman, Ian Ramsay, Greg Olsen and James Christensen. These and other various signatures can be found in the corners of wall hangings in Eric’s home. For many years, Eric didn’t hang his own art. He displayed Michelangelo paintings, for example, to which a guest once pointed and said to Eric, “That’s your best piece right there.”
Eric says Utah Valley-ites may not recognize the glut of talented artists in our backyard.
“We’re all trying to make a living so we’re painting things people actually like,” he says. “We’re not trying to get deep into recesses of the mind. We’re appealing to the masses. Once you start to get weird, your audience will diminish.”
Unlike many artists, Eric is also complimentary of Thomas Kinkade.
“If you can’t say Kinkade’s pieces are great art, you are just jealous,” he says.
Eric’s staff teases him that if this art and puzzle gig falls to pieces, his new career could be stand-up comedy. His lively interaction keeps the corporate culture pieced together.
“Thanks for wearing that hat,” he tells a fellow Cougar fan as he walks through the warehouse.
When he introduces Ursula, he says, “Everyone needs an Ursula.”

Evolution
When Eric began holding a paint brush full time, he admits he would spend two months on a piece. That’s when he learned why artists are described as “starving.”
“Nobody wants to be involved in a business with the word ‘starving’ attached to it,” he says.
His key to turning the coins was to churn out the paintings at a faster rate. He now completes about 30 a year.
“I would love to spend more time on a piece — maybe that would help me be less critical of my own work,” Eric says. “Unfortunately artists can be critical of tiny flaws.”
But Eric has learned that’s not a trait you want to take home.
“You can’t walk in the house where everything is totally clean except one book on the floor and notice the one imperfection,” he says. “Nobody likes that.”

Sensory overload
Deb describes her husband as sensory.
“He needs to taste it, feel it, smell it,” she says.
Which is why he can’t paint a city after flipping through a picture book at the Orem library. He needs to fly there, sleep there, eat there and talk there. And talk. And talk.
“He talks to everyone,” Deb says.
For the sake of all involved, Eric often goes alone on research trips.
“I do what the tourists do,” he says. “I ride the Maid of the Mist. I go to the Imax. I ask people what they are enjoying. In many ways I feel like a reporter.”
Eric brings sights and sounds to his painting studio, too. His favorite sounds? David Lanz, the Mormon Channel and sports radio.
“I used to listen to political radio shows or regular radio music, but now I’m an old guy and I like classical music and stories about the LDS Church abroad. The Mormon Channel is my favorite channel, and it’s not even close. “

Profit and prophet
One of Eric’s life highlights was spending a family home evening with the late LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley. The two connected after Eric painted and presented President Hinckley with “All Nations Flow Unto It,” which was commissioned by Zions Bank and the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce. Eric incorporated the church leader’s life story — as well as the growth of the religion and the Utah landscape — into the painting.
“I wondered where someone who is given so many gifts would put yet another item. In the closet? The bathroom? But he hung my painting above the couch. Maybe he took it down after we left,” Eric quips. “But I could give an entire talk on our evening together.”
President Hinckley suggested Eric make a puzzle out of his painting, and Eric asked, “Make a profit on the prophet?” He was given the green light “as long as I paid my tithing,” and the puzzle is now available at
dowdlefolkart.com.

For U and You and BYU
One of Eric’s current canvases is based on the football-crazed culture along the Wasatch Front. Fans can purchase some of Eric’s dabs by sending in a photo of themselves cheering the Cougars or the Utes. The finished product with hundreds of mini-commissions throughout the stands will be ready early next year.
Eric is spending much more time on the BYU and Utah paintings than his usual 1 1/2 to 2 weeks.
“The crowd needs to be detailed — it needs to look like Aunt Rhoda or Uncle Joe,” he says.
(Learn more about commissioning Eric to include you at dowdlefolkart.com.)

Coming to America
Eric’s loyalty to BYU is only rivaled by his patriotism for America. One of his dreams is to build a Mount Vernon replica as his corporate headquarters in Utah County. It will be a celebration of folk art, America, the founding fathers and agriculture. It will also be a reception center and gathering place.
“I love picturing the future of our business in a building that was instrumental in the history of our country,” he says.
Eric does his part to strengthen America and her economy. This year, all of his puzzles are manufactured in the United States — Indiana, to be exact.
The stateside manufacturer came within 15 cents of his bid from China, and that price differential was worth it for him to add to the economy of the country he loves.

PAINT BY NUMBER
Eric, who named his goat “Art” and has been spotted at Kneaders with the animal, adds personality and color to walls, puzzle tables and conversation. And there’s more to come. He recently started researching a Mardi Gras painting and watched a film on the festivities.
“I watched 10 minutes and had to call my bishop,” he laughs. “I’ll be doing a G-rated version.”
Eric’s feel-good depictions have pieced together a successful career for him as well as hours of enjoyment for art lovers, puzzle-doers and travelers who appreciate his folksy brush with reality.

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I walked out of my dorm room at Southern Virginia University and into the common TV area where I saw the second tower being hit — live. I went to class in a daze. It was all anyone could talk about, so we tuned in throughout class as the other surreal events happened. My classmates had friends and family members who worked in the towers or at the Pentagon. Living on the East Coast made it even more real. We prayed and cried so much that day. I still cry every September 11th as I look back and remember.
Cristi Bastian
Lindon
Photographer and owner of popular Hatfield
home showcased on 2011 Parade of Homes

I was on my way to school and missed the bus. I walked back home and watched the second plane crash into the building. It had only been four months since visiting New York City and going up into the World Trade Center on our honeymoon. When we arrived at the top there was a sign that said, “Welcome to the top of the world.” It sent chills through my body. While on top my husband and I went inside a room to watch a panoramic film of New York City. The seats moved to make you feel as if you were in a plane hovering over the city. They had Velcro seatbelts for fun. We sat on the top for an hour, and I just could not get over the view.
Vivian Heras Klemin
Cedar Hills

When I showed up to work at an auto shop in Provo, everyone was gathered around the radio. Once I realized the magnitude, I ran down the street to Master Muffler because they had a TV in their waiting room. I saw both towers smoking. I stayed glued to CNN until they collapsed. I was stunned, and then I cried for those who lost their lives. Then I started hearing reports that it was likely a terrorist plot, and like most Americans I got angry.
Rodney Martin
American Fork
Owner of World Class Auto Repair

I went to a domestic violence support group to help the ladies deal with the fact that the country was now feeling in a public way the horrors of violence that they were living privately. Very sad day.
Lisa Peck
Highland
Business coach and owner of Step It Up Enterprises

We moved to D.C. from New York City a month before so Joel could practice law at a firm in the district. We lived in Alexandria, Va., a 10-minute drive to the Pentagon. We hopped on the freeway that morning and arrived in the parking lot of the Pentagon. He kissed me goodbye, and we parted ways. I turned the radio on and was listening to the horrors in New York praying that our friends were safe. I then went into a store and shopped for a few minutes before heading back out and seeing the smoke that would smolder for days coming out of the Pentagon! Before my fears turned into full-blown panic, peace began to flow through me. I knew my husband was safe. Hours after navigating through the great exodus of D.C., he was home.
Marisa Wright
Cedar Hills
City Councilwoman

We were living in Montreal (just a few hours north of New York City) where Ben was playing in the CFL. I remember it was the most beautiful blue sky the morning of Sept. 11th, which later seemed so ironic for what ended up being such a dark, tragic day. I have never longed for home more than I did the days or weeks that followed. We drove across the border from Canada to New York a few days after it happened just to be back on American soil for a few hours. We blasted the Whitney Houston version of the national anthem in our car as we crossed the U.S. border. The sight of the American flag brought us to tears of both gratitude and sorrow.
Kim Cahoon
Cedar Hills
Wife of Ben Cahoon, receivers coach for BYU

My wife, Jodi, and I traveled to Maui on Sept. 8, 2001, with two other couples for a weeklong trip. Jodi was working for Southwest Airlines, so we all flew to Hawaii for free. My friend and I planned scuba lessons Tuesday morning, and my wife had scheduled a golf lesson. We woke up early and were shocked by the images flashing across the TV. We didn’t have a lot of money at the time, and since we didn’t know when we would get home we kept purchases to a minimum. Now when we visit Hawaii, my wife reminds me about the $15 shirt I didn’t let her buy from Crazy Shirts. The next Saturday when flights resumed, we left Maui after 15 hours at the airport.
Jay Bean
Founder of OrangeSoda, #360 on Inc. 500
and No. 1 winner of UVEF’s Top 25 Under Five Awards

In September 2011 I was spending two weeks per month in New York’s financial district preparing to take Altiris public. On the morning of Sept. 11, I had a meeting with a banker of a large bulge firm — fortunately in my Utah office. This banker had colleagues in the second World Trade Center tower. Words cannot describe the horror, pain and sorrow on his face as we watched the plane crash into the second tower. To know people who worked in the tower and to have spent time there just before the destruction made Sept. 11th much more personal, intimate and painful.
Greg Butterfield
Alpine
President/CEO of Altiris and Managing Partner of SageCreek Partners

I was with my family in California attending the Latin Grammys. A couple of days before the attack, we watched a movie on Nostradamus, which depicted New York being destroyed. The morning of 9/11, our 7-year-old son announced Nostradamus’ predictions came true! We didn’t believe him. He came back crying for us to look at the TV. Our friends thought L.A. would be hit next, so we caravaned to Vegas with other families. We were stranded for a few days waiting for the airlines to open up.
Scott Lazerson
Orem
Judge of Miss Universe 2011, host of upcoming “Celebrity Garage Sale” on HGTV

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Tale of two houses
For the past two years, Gary and Jeanette have called the second floor of the mansion home as they host dignitaries and tourists on the first and third floors.
But they still consider Utah County their home base and return each weekend — and sometimes more often. Jeanette doesn’t sleep at the governor’s mansion if Gary is out of town.
Having a foot in both worlds comes with a few frustrations — groceries are often in “the other refrigerator.”
“I pack a suitcase going both ways,” Jeanette says. “It doesn’t matter what I do, things always end up crossing and I only have part of an outfit somewhere or jewelry in the opposite place.”

You’re hired!
Being Utah’s First Lady comes without a job description or a paycheck — unless you count the $1 every other year that the state pays.
Each woman (or husband, in the case of Gov. Olene Walker) can determine her level of involvement as spouse to the governor.
“When I first got in I had a lot of requests to sit on boards and represent organizations,” Jeanette says. “People would ask what my initiative was. I would say, ‘When I see it, it will feel right.’”
Jeanette began to be drawn to issues relating to children, parenting, families and reading. As owner of the Kids Connection in Orem for 23 years, Jeanette had a front-row seat to parenting,
“I saw a lot of moms and dads struggling,” Jeanette says. “Their child would be out of control, and they wouldn’t know how to handle the situation.”
Jeanette learned from her parents — and from her kids — that being friends first and parents second is a third-rate approach to raising a family.
“Parents worry if they discipline their children, they won’t love them,” Jeanette says. “But kids crave boundaries. I want to help parents gain power. Kids are up against so much in today’s world, and parents need to be extra vigilant.”
On May 24, Jeanette announced her initiative, Uplift Utah Families, at the Salt Lake Bees game.
“Our organization believes that to have a strong viable state, we must have strong viable families,” she says.

Single-handed mom
Jeanette’s own parenting journey includes having six kids within 12 years and a husband in real estate. Translation? Jeanette felt like a single mother at times. But she didn’t sit around making a honey-do list for Gary.
“My parents are do-it-yourselfers, and I am also very independent,” she says. “I didn’t know there was such a thing as a repairman until I was 12 and I saw a man messing with the washing machine at a friend’s house.”
Gary saw this side of Jeanette from their first date. When Gary pulled up, she had a Corvair up on blocks while she was putting in a carburetor kit.
“Jeanette takes great pride in not needing repairmen when it comes to plumbing, sheetrock, landscaping and cars,” Gary says. “She’s always got seven or eight projects going at once. She’s a go-go-go girl — but not a go-go girl.”

Springing from Springville
Daughter Kimberli Cahoon describes her mom as the most unique First Lady the state has ever known.
“She’s just Jeanette Herbert from Springville, Utah,” Kimberli says.
Those small-town roots gave Jeanette big confidence for her life ahead.
“Springville was a wonderful place to grow up — small town Americana,” she says.
Jeanette’s dad managed the JCPenney in town, and she remembers him walking across the street to SOS Drug Company and visiting with other businessmen. She went with him and they would pull up a stool and have an ice cream.
Jeanette also loved living in Art City for the inspiration derived from the moniker and the Monets. She took her high school art class in the basement of the Springville Art Museum, and her art education prepared her for this chapter.
“We have so much artwork here at the mansion, and that’s one reason I love living here so much,” she says.
Jeanette may be from a small town, but she’s comfortable in the big city.
“She is very independent, and I don’t worry about her at all,” Gary says. “I don’t spend time making sure she’s comfortable in this role. She’s always anxiously engaged in good causes.”
Kimberli says her dad is the hardest worker she’s ever known, but even he has a hard time keeping up with Jeanette.
“She is 61, and she keeps picking up her pace,” Kimberli says.
Gary describes a conversation he had with Jeanette about a trip to Hawaii.
“I want to go and just relax,” he told her. “Will you let me do that or will you need to be on the go the whole time we’re there?”
Jeanette considered bringing along a daughter to go see the sites with her while Gary took his downtime. In the end, Gary and Jeanette met in the middle.

Princess dreams
Jeanette clearly remembers pretending to be a princess and thinking about growing up and living in a castle.
“Who would have thought I’d end up living in the governor’s mansion?” she says. “It feels surreal to this day. It is a real honor to be here and to represent the state.”
Jeanette’s “princess life” began in Preston, Idaho. Shortly after her birth, her family moved to Pocatello and then Milford, Utah. When Jeanette was 5, the family put down roots in Springville.
Jeanette developed a strong work ethic and later worked at the Orem State Bank (where Key Bank is now on State Street) as the first driveup window teller in Utah County. Gary had recently returned from his LDS mission and came into the bank where he talked to one of Jeanette’s co-workers. He asked her to line him up with Jeanette.
“Afterwards the girl came over to talk to me about Gary, and I looked out the window just in time to see him drive off,” Jeanette says. “He was driving a brand new 1968 GTO. And I thought, ‘If that’s his car, I’ll go out with him.’”
They started dating, and a month later she learned he had been driving his uncle’s car.
“But I was already hooked,” she says.
Their relationship pattern was set on their first date when Gary tossed Jeanette the newspaper and told her to pick a romantic show for them to see. He still depends on Jeanette to help make decisions.
The two dated for six months before Gary was drafted into the army. The Herberts got married amidst his basic training and national guard duties.

For better or for worse
Gary and Jeanette Herbert celebrate their 41st anniversary this month — a patriotic month for a patriotic couple.
“Some newlyweds don’t have the commitment it takes to make marriage work,” she says. “You’re going to find out that your spouse squeezes the toothpaste wrong and does quirky things that get under your skin, but you’ve got to talk about it and stay committed.”
In fact, Gary says it’s Jeanette who squeezes from the top.
“She resolved that issue by starting to buy us each our own tubes,” Gary says.
Jeanette says marital conflicts can also arise because of a problem child, which is another impetus for her to plan a conference on families.
“Every marriage has times when things are strained, but you have to hang in there through the tough times,” she says. “We’ve been married over 40 years, and we’re so comfortable with each other. It pays off to stay together, and most people find they are very compatible if they choose to see it that way.”

We are family
Although the Herberts have seen the world as they represent Utah, they are still largely focused on home sweet home and family sweet family.
“You don’t need an exotic vacation to enjoy family time,” Jeanette says. “Studies show kids choose not to drink or smoke because they want parental approval. Parents matter. Families matter.”
Jeanette serves up parenting along with meat and rolls every Sunday evening at her Orem home, and her six kids and 13 grandkids are all invited.
“Family is what life is about,” she says. “If you have a close family, you’ve got it made. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or if you are famous.”
Gary says Jeanette is a top-notch mother, but she’s an “all-world, first-team grandma. I mean all-world!”
She sews Halloween costumes for her grandchildren and baby blessing outfits for the little ones.
“I’m always making some kind of craft,” she says. “ I love it.”
She also loves attending as many games and recitals as possible, which is why she starts her schedule by putting in the “big rocks” of family — and golf.

Fore!
Jeanette golfs at Hobble Creek Golf Course every Tuesday with friends.
“It’s important to keep balance in life,” she says. “I enjoy that time when I set aside my other worries and concerns.”
Except for the worry of hitting a tiny golf ball.
“I shouldn’t love anything about golf,” she says. “It’s the most frustrating sport. You hit one good shot and then it might be 10 more shots before you can do that again. But I like to see the improvement from the last time I played.”
Jeanette’s love affair with Hobble Creek began before she hit double digits. Her father would come home from work and take her to the course with him. Sometimes they didn’t finish nine holes before the sun went down, but they enjoyed the evening breeze and the time together as they were the last ones on the green.
“Hobble Creek is my course,” Jeanette says.
Jeanette took up golf with earnest when she sold her Orem child-care center a few years ago and planned to quietly focus on grandchildren and home improvement projects.
But Gary’s political aspirations changed her game. Gary put together a bid for governor in 2004 before stepping out and joining Jon Huntsman’s ticket as lieutenant governor. The two won big that November. Then in 2009, Huntsman left the state to be an ambassador in China, which put Gary in the top seat. Gary was re-elected in 2010.

Politics as usual
Although Jeanette has no legislative power, she feels a responsibility to understand the issues.
“I need to relate to Gary and the emotions he’s going through,” she says. “Our whole family has become very politically involved. A lot of the conversations around the table are about state and national issues. I read all the newspapers, but I generally avoid the blogs — they are too negative.”
Jeanette considers herself a “Fox News person,” but she seeks out the other side to round out her knowledge. The only TV she takes time to watch is recorded programming — such as “Dancing With The Stars” — so she can zoom through the commercials.

Public figure
Although the Herberts get recognized and consequently stopped whenever they go out in public, they don’t let it limit their behavior. But being out and about takes longer than it used to.
“People come up and usually say they appreciate what we are doing,” Jeanette says. “We are both people persons — is that how you say that in plural? We like talking to people. Gary is usually the last one to leave the room, and I’m pulling on his coat tails. That’s one of his good qualities. He enjoys hearing people’s issues.”
Being a public figure and living in the governor’s mansion caught small-town Jeanette by surprise, but the depth of Utah’s greatness did not. As a volunteer herself, she’s well aware of how Utah earns its distinction of being the No. 1 state for volunteerism.
“And that’s a badge we wear with honor,” she says.

Women’s work
Jeanette’s mother was a housewife and didn’t work a day. Jeanette never aspired to be a working mother either. But in the late 1970s and early 1980s, interest rates were high and home purchases were low. Soon after she had her sixth child, she and her Realtor husband realized a second income might be necessary.
“I decided to build a child-care center so I could take my kids to work with me,” Jeanette says.
She was usually at home when the children left for school and back home again when the backpacks returned. Her children grew up and held jobs at the center.
“I became so attached to the children,” she says. “We were open so long that people who had been there as kids were bringing their own babies back in. It was hard to walk away.”
Owning a day-care center forced Jeanette to organize her time and work closely with all types of personalities.
“In addition to my business, being a mother prepared me for this more than any other career could have,” she says.
Jeanette is an optimistic person who looks forward to the future and hopes her grandchildren take notice.
“I want them to realize there is a lot of good out there if they have the right attitude,” she says.

Joke’s on you
Jeanette is serious about parenting and dead serious about grandparenting, but she is quick to laugh and find the humor in life.
On April Fool’s Day, she called her husband and told him Donald Trump had figured out Obama wasn’t born in the U.S. and had found proof. Hours later he called back saying his staff couldn’t find out more about her news. She reminded him what day it was.
“I love joking around,” she says. “I like informal occasions more than formal occasions.”

Politics as usual
As much as Jeanette prefers jeans and family, a life in politics is a life in the spotlight. Many lunches and dinners are spent at catered tables, although the couple often craves a simple bowl of cereal for dinner. (The night before our interview, Gary came home and happily poured himself a bowl of Cheerios.)
The Herberts rub shoulders with Utah’s elite, including a close friendship with both the Romneys and Huntsmans.
“We supported Romney in the last election, and we thought the Huntsmans were also supporting Romney,” Jeanette says. “So it was awkward for us when the Huntmans put their support behind McCain. We have friendships and relationships with both couples, so we’ll likely stay neutral. I just hope they don’t beat up on each other too badly, which can happen in a contested Primary.”
Jeanette knows something about taking a beating. The 2010 campaign season was smattered with headlines questioning the governor’s integrity.
“At times we wondered if it was worth it. What were we doing this for? It was actually our kids who kept us in the race,” Jeanette says.
At one of the traditional Sunday night dinners, the adult children passionately persuaded their parents to stay in through the hard times.
“They told us we were there for a reason and to hang in there,” Jeanette says.
They knew their children had been well-taught, and they listened.
“You have to know what is right and stand tall, and when you do that everything works out in the end,” Jeanette says. “My skin has gotten thicker. Neither one of us takes offense when offense wasn’t intended.”
Sometimes offense is intended, which is when Jeanette and Gary lean on each other.
“We help each other through situations,” she says. “As a spouse sometimes I’m defensive of him and I want to punch somebody’s lights out, but it’s important to stand above it and see things through. This journey will end at some point, and we want to have done the most with this chapter of our lives.”

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