Painting #1000 of the St. George Temple

Art collector Blake Arnold with his new painting of the St. George LDS Temple



For the past two months I've been working on a very large painting of the St. George LDS Temple. Each of my paintings is numbered sequentially and this is painting #1000 -- a real milestone. I've had a number of collectors ask about who would be getting this special painting. While I don't take painting commissions, three years ago I had promised a good collector, Blake Arnold, that the next time I painted the Temple he could have first crack at it. After getting it framed yesterday, Blake rushed over to see it and bought it on the spot. He had to hurry because today he and his wife are leaving for Europe. I will be exhibiting the painting at the St. George Art Festival over the weekend (with Blake's permission) so others can see it.

UTAH WATERCOLOR SOCIETY MEETING PRESENTATION
Over 100 artists turned out at the monthly meeting of the Utah Watercolor Society in Salt Lake City Tuesday night. I was the featured speaker and was a little intimidated by the large group of my peers. But they were kind to me, and listened with patience as I presented a PowerPoint demonstration "From Sketches to Paintings" outlining my techniques for working up a painting from sketchbook field studies to studio paintings. Thanks to president Gayle Allen and workshop coordinator Catherine Hostetter for setting it all up. I will be back in Salt Lake City next week to teach a three-day mini workshop for the UWS which Catherine also organized. That workshop is already filled.



Inside the Big Barn at Wheeeler Farm, where the Utah Watercolor Society holds their monthly meetings



Wheeler Farm (above) is a wonderful working farm covering many acres. I had a chance to do a few sketchbook pencil studies around the farm before the presentation.