Painting Water in Watercolor Workshop

We just finished two wonderful days studying the ins and outs of painting water in watercolor. 15 excellent artists joined me for a two-day workshop sponsored by Warren and Carol Larson and the Hurricane Valley Arts Alliance. It's always a great experience to rub shoulders with fellow artists, but this group was especially talented and amiable. Participants included: John and Karel Armstrong from Prescott Arizona; Mark Gunn Rose from American Falls Idaho; Laura Huddleston from Snowflake Arizona; Barbara Malmberg from Riverside California; Johanna Monroe from Santa Rosa California; Pete Sauer from Salt Lake City Utah; Ann Williams from Springdale Utah; Michael Smith from Ivins Utah; Bill Sherwin from St. George Utah; John Mangels from St. George Utah; Shirlee Last from Hurricane Utah; John Griffith from Washington Utah;Daniel Fernie from St. George Utah; Eiko Anderson from Logan Utah. Click to see photos

New Roland Lee Gallery opens at Zion Mtn Ranch

Yep, we're officially open. We finally launched the new Roland Lee Art Gallery at Zion Mountain Ranch. Located inside the ZMR Trading Post just a mile from the east entrance to Zion National Park on SR9 we've partnered with Kevin McLaws to exhibit my original landscape paintings and prints of Zion and the surrounding areas. Our signs aren't up yet and we've got a few finishing touches to add, but we'll be in full swing in time for the busy vacation season. We'll also display and sell the amazing western bronze sculptures of Jerry Anderson. I hope to spend time up their this summer. Look forward to an open house celebration soon.

Zion Mountain Ranch resort is unique in that it is dedicated to preserving the pristine natural surroundings of its thousands of acres of high mountain meadows and forests that border Zion Park. Part of the preservation effort is to make a permanent home for the ranch’s buffalo herd.

Zion Painting on cover of SkyWest inflight magazine

I was pleased to have one of my Zion paintings grace the cover of the March/April 2011 issue of SkyWest, the inflight magazine of SkyWest and Delta Express airlines. They used my painting "A Patch of Blue" which depicts a peaceful scene along the north fork of the Virgin River in Zion National Park. They also quoted me in a travel article and I was featured in a sidebar.

College Art Tour of California Museums

The blossoms were in bloom at the Huntington Gardens

Nellie and I were fortunate to be invited to accompany a Dixie State College bus tour to California this week. It always charges up the juices to see fantastic art pieces up close and share the experience with other art appreciators. We visited the Getty museum, LA Art Museum, Getty Villa in Malibu, The Norton Simon museum in Pasadena, The Huntington Library and Gardens, and had a little time for the beach. My overall favorite place is the new Getty Art Museum in Los Angeles. The edifice itself and gardens are stunning by themselves. I always spend the first hour outside just enjoying the sheer design magnificence of the architecture and water feature. From every angle it is a design wonder, juxtaposing hard edges with amorphic natural shapes, with emphasis on the element of texture. And of course the art inside is fabulous indeed.

The recently completed Chinese Garden at the Huntington


Seeing the original artwork up-close is really a treat. Nellie rests her feet while some pretty famous paintings keep an eye on her.



I loved the striking contrast of hard edges and soft graceful curves at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles




The Roman gardens at the Getty Villa in Malibu

My long-time friend and art professor at Dixie State College, Glen Blakely, has introduced thousands of students and community people to the world of art, through his guided trips to Europe, Los Angeles and San Francisco museums.