Plein Air Utah Live!

 Join us January 21-23 for three days and nights of solid painting demonstrations and art instruction. Plein Air Utah Live will feature some 25 artists giving live demonstrations and interacting with students online--and YOU can be a part of it without leaving your home. I will be doing a watercolor demonstration on Friday January 22 at 3:30pm. See the whole schedule here, and sign up now!

Thanks to Collector David Johnson

Roland Lee and David Johnson with his new painting "Life in Liberty"

I'd like to thank my good friend and art collector David Johnson. David has amassed a huge home art collection containing many of the best artists of our time. I enjoy his visits to my art gallery where we discuss our common addiction to collecting art, by sharing our newest purchases. His collection is much larger than mine and we keep saying we've got to quit. But recently he decided he had to have my new painting "Life in Liberty." That painting is now in his collection, but in the process I was able to pick up a little painting from his collection by the well-known deceased Utah artist Leconte Stewart. That's what friends are for, right?

"Life in Liberty" Watercolor by Roland Lee

Roland Lee Interview video - Art in the Time of Covid

 I was honored to be interviewed in my studio by the Zion Forever Project during their "Art in the Time of Covid" art presentation and fundraiser for Zion National Park. You can watch the 8 minute video here.

Roland Lee Painting Featured in American Watercolor Weekly

 My painting of Zion National Park, "Sentinel Shadows" was featured in the American Watercolor Weekly online newsletter this past week in a feature called "Mountain Majesty."

Art in the Time of covid - Paintings at Zion National Park

Art in the time of Covid. Six artists have been invited to participate in Zion National Park's special invitational art exhibit. You can see the paintings here. My painting "Essence of Zion" is used as the cover poster.

Just Released "The River Flows - Artists of the American West"

I am so excited to have my paintings included with such notable artists as Dean Mitchell and others in this new coffee table book. Available in both hardbound, and special "clam shell" collectors editions, this gorgeous book traces the history of artist who worked in watercolor to portray the western landscape and people. Compiled by Don Weller and Marlin Rotach, the book is a magnificent addition to the art libraries, and I am deeply honored to have my paintings included.

New Painting Accepted in 52nd Annual Watercolor West International Juried Exhibit

I was notified that my painting "Moroccan Musician," painted after a trip to Spain and Marocco, was juried into the 2020 52nd annual Watercolor West International Juried Exhibition. This is the second straight year one of my paintings has been juried into this  elite show. It will be on display at the Brea Gallery in California from September through December 2020. The juror was noted watercolorist Iain Stewart.

Roland Lee Painting Featured in "Plein Air Collector" Newsletter

I was pleased to have my painting, "Long Term Parking" selected to illustrate the article "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" in the July 2020 issue of "Plein Air Collector" and "Outdoor Painter" online newsletters. The painting features an old Ford car parked forever next to an even older barn in northern Utah. We discovered the old relic while painting during the Plein Air Utah event in 2019.

"Long Term Parking" watercolor by Roland Lee

Foy family adds to their art collection

I appreciate all my collectors, especially during the Coronavirus restriction period, which limited visitors to my gallery. Many of them have come through for me and purchased paintings for their collections. I'm grateful for my good friend Garrick Foy and his wife for adding one of my paintings to his collection, "Zion's Last Light" a 21 x 29 watercolor of Zion National Park.

Painting Appears in Plein Air Magazine online edition

An article in Plein Air Magazine called "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" took a look at a number of paintings by plein air painters in the June-July 2020 issue. I was surprised and delighted to find my painting "Long Term Parking" included in the online additional content as well as in the weekly online newsletter American Watercolor Weekly.

American Watercolor Weekly Features Roland Lee Painting

American Watercolor Weekly features Roland Lee watercolor painting

I was happy that editor Kelly Kane selected one of my paintings for inclusion in an article in the online American Watercolor Weekly June 2020. The article is titled "Inspired by Trains and Automobiles." My painting, "Long Term Parking" was inspired by a visit to an old farm during the 2019 Plein Air Utah event in Midway Utah.

Long Term Parking by Roland Lee was featured in American Watercolor Weekly June 2, 2020 issue

Painting in Plein Air Magazine June 2020

"Morning Reflections" by Roland Lee appears in June issue "Plein Air Magazine"

My painting "Morning Reflections" is part of a special Watercolor section of the June-July 2020 Plein Air Magazine. 

Plein Air Magazine special section on watercolors

Three Paintings in Utah Watercolor Society 2020 Spring Open Exhibit

"Anyone for Hoops" was selected for the UWS Spring Open Exhibition

I was pleased to have three paintings selected by juror David Smith for the Spring 2020 UWS Open Exhibition. Because of the Coronavirus the show will be exhibited online only from June 1 to August 31.  My Paintings, "Anyone for Hoops" "Long Term Parking" and "Shopping in the Casbah" are in the exhibit.

Coronavirus Doesn't Shut Down Painting!

I was able to sell more than 20 paintings online during the Covid-19 shut down.

I had to shut down my art gallery for most of March and April to comply with national and state precautions due to the Coronavirus. So I just moved my painting studio to my home and went to work. Turns out my painting production actually went up. So with all my new paintings I side-stepped the shutdown by having a couple of online sales for my media followers and previous collectors. They came through and we had a sell-out, which got me through the shut-down in better shape than most businesses. Thanks to everyone who support me.

Some of the paintings completed during the Covid-19 pandemic

Plein Air During the Coronavirus Shut-down

My kind of social distancing - Roland Lee plein air painting

Painting in the southern Utah desert

My trusty art assault vehicle (1988 Toyota Pickup with Six Pack Camper)

We weathered the Coronavirus shut down by moving my painting gear to my home and working there for awhile. I actually got quite a lot of painting done during that time, but got restless and ventured out in my art assault vehicle and did quite a bit of painting out in the desert. My idea of social distancing.

Famous Painting Re-do

Okay all of us have gone a little crazy during the Coronavirus shut down. So our family accepted the challenge to re-enact famous paintings. My wife Nellie and I decided to do Arrangement in Grey and Black (Whistlers Mother) by James A. McNeill Whistler and the Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso. I think we pretty much nailed it. lol! All the paintings are below.

Arrangement in Grey and black - portrait of Whistlers Mother by James A. McNeill Whistler

The Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso

March Master Class

l to r: Mark Rose, Vaughn Emett, Roland Lee, Leslie Peterson, Jonathan Lee

Roland Lee demonstrates techniques for his March Master Class

Leslie Peterson, Vaughn Emett, Mark Rose, and Jonathan Lee were the artists I hosted in my studio classroom for a Master Class in March. Each artist worked on their own ideas and paintings and did a great job.

Watercolor Workshop at Maynard Dixon Property for Girl's Academy

My son, Jonathan, and I enjoyed sharing our talents with a great group of young ladies from a Kanab Girl's Academy. The girls, with their leaders traveled to the Maynard Dixon Property in Mt. Carmel Utah, where we spent a couple of hours working on watercolor paintings, before enjoying a tour of the Maynard Dixon property and Edith Hamlin studio. I was excited to share with them the rich heritage of artists who lived and worked in East Zion area. Thanks to their leaders, along with Emilie who took us through the Bingham Gallery. We are also grateful to Paul and Susan Bingham who work so hard to make the Dixon Property available to our young people.

Visiting the Edith Hamlin Studio 

Roland Lee teaches a group of young ladies

A visit to the Bingham Art Gallery

Collector Purchases Plein Air Painting of Bryce Canyon

Thanks to my wonderful art collector D. Hines who just ordered another original painting online. I shipped the painting, "Sunset Point Hoodoos" to him today. I completed the painting en plein air during a public demonstration I did at Bryce Canyon.

Roland Lee Painting at Bryce Canyon

Working on the painting at Bryce Canyon Sunset Point Overlook

"Sunset Point Hoodoos" watercolor by Roland Lee