Plein Air Painting with my Daughter

 My daughter, Jana Lee Cherry, and I enjoyed our sunny southern Utah weather by going out to the sand dunes in Warner Valley to plein air paint. We had a great time together and were able to come away with some fun paintings. The only hitch came when we tried to leave and ended up getting stuck in some very deep dry sand. I sunk my "art assault vehicle" up to the axels and needed to get a little assistance from a passer-by who had a wintch and a tow rope. Live and learn!

Jana Lee Cherry with her plein air sketchbook painting

Roland Lee plein air painting in the sand dunes near St. George UT

Roland Lee art assault vehicle stuck in the sand. 1988 Toyota pickup with 1992 Six-Pac camper.

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.

1988 Toyota Hilux pickup truck 4WD

My 1988 Toyota Pickup with the Six Pac Camper removed. Great little pickup truck for getting around, especially in the snow of Zion National Park as well as the desert sands of southern Utah.

1988 Toyota Hilux pickup truck with original steel wheels

Plein Air Painters of Utah at Vermillion Cliffs and Marble Canyon Arizona

Roland Lee works on plein air painting at Vermillion Cliffs. Photo by Tom Howard

Getting a plein air painting started at Vermillion Cliffs

Finished plein air painting at Vermillion Cliffs

Painting by my trusty Six Pac camper

We had a fun week with the Plein Air Painters of Utah (PAPU) as we travelled to Vermillion Cliffs National Recreation area in Arizona. Russell Case showed us a few of his favorite painting spots including a tremendous view overlooking Marble Canyon.

I camped at Lee's Ferry for three nights in my Six Pac camper. this is my art assault vehicle.

These strange Toadstools or Hoodoos look like they will topple over any minute on my Six Pac camper

Finished plein air Painting 6 x 9 at Vermillion Cliffs AZ

I enjoyed painting and filling my sketchbook with on location drawings

1988 toyota 4WD Pickup and Six Pac Camper has new wheels

Old Blue, my trusty 1988 4WD Toyota Pickup with 1992 Six Pac Camper now has new wheels!

Good news. My trusty 1988 Toyota Pickup and Six Pac Camper "Art Assault Vehicle" now has new wheels and tires. The old rusted wheels had that special "look" but after a year I found four original equipment wheels to bring the old boy back to its original showroom sparkle. New OEM Toyota mud flaps completed the ensemble. Now I just need to raise the funds to get a new paint job. In the meantime, if you see me out painting plein air with "Old Blue" be sure to honk.

Plein Air Painting at Cedar Breaks and Kolob Canyons

Lots of new plein air paintings came out of the SUMA Chasing Light Plein Air event. 15 artists painted outdoors in both Cedar Breaks National Monument as well as the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park.

Roland Lee plein air painting at Cedar Breaks

Sunset View overlook at Cedar Breaks National Monument

Evening painting at Kolob Canyons in Zion National Park

Demonstration painting for the SUMA plein air invitational

Painting in progress at Kolob Canyons

Painting along side my trusty art assault vehicle a 1988 Toyota pickup with Six Pac camper

Blown Away at the Rockville Bridge Plein Air Event

The winds howled, and we had to hang on to our paintings, but we weathered three days of outdoor painting to raise funds for the Rockville Bridge restoration. Luckily I had my trusty art assault vehicle, my 1988 Toyota 4x4 with 1992 Six Pac Super Mini Camper to help block the wind and provide shelter from time to time. All 15 invited artists had a blast and we had good sales as well.

1988 Toyota Hilux with Six Pac Camper - The perfect Art Vehicle

1988 Toyota Hilux with Six Pac Camper at Smith Mesa

1988 Toyota Hilux with Six Pac Camper in front of Mount Kinesava at Zion

Roland Lee plein air painting on Grafton Road near Zion

Had to duck out of the wind behind my 1988 Toyota Hilux with Six Pac Camper 

Painting the cliffs of Zion National Park from Grafton Road. Plein air by Roland Lee