Cedar Breaks Plein Air event "Arts Afire."

Artists Royden Card (left) and Roland Lee painting on the rim at Point Supreme in Cedar Breaks National Monument.

     What fun spending a week at 10,000 ft. elevation Painting Cedar Breaks National Monument. I was invited to join ten other nationally known artists to paint en plein air as part of the second annual "Arts Afire" event. We painted the spectacular red canyon as well as the unbelievable wildflowers and Fir trees that are so recognizable there.
     At the end of the week I presented a live painting demonstration at the Brian Head Giant Steps lodge while they held a silent auction of paintings. Culminating the week was a reception and kickoff of a two-month show featuring the paintings completed during the event. This was held at the spectacular new Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA) on the campus of Southern Utah University. I was happy to meet lots of new art collectors and sell six of my ten paintings on opening night.

Many park visitors stopped to watch us paint

Painting plein air at Point Supreme in Cedar Breaks

One of the oldest Bristlecone Pines in the world at Cedar Breaks

Painting with my Sienna Pochade box in a lovely forest spot at Cedar Breaks

I had to return to this spot three evenings in a row to capture this sunset scene plein air

"The Hand" one of the features easily viewed from the Cedar Breaks Visitors Center

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch...

We're enjoying a quiet weekend tending Clear Creek Family Ranch for my son Jon while he and his family travel to a mission homecoming. The weather is amazing, the scenery is tops, and the animals are really hungry! Gathered a couple dozen eggs and introduced ourselves to the new pig Felipe (snort). Hope you are having a great Saturday too.

Felipe and I hit it off right away. He was hungry, and I had food. He's a new addition to Clear Creek Family Ranch.

Had to fill up the big water trough. About 100 deer get their water here during the night too.

Domestic turkeys watching the chickens have a buffet of scraps. Literally thousands of wild turkeys roam the Clear Creek Family Ranch as well.

Farmer Roland out standing in his field. Just before repairing a busted fence with duct tape at Clear Creek Family Ranch. Too much fun.

Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry. We had tons of feathered friends waiting for the feed buckets this morning. It's nice to feel needed.

Field Studies and Paintings on Utah's Grand Staircase Geology Trail - Part 1

Roland Lee painting Thor's Hammer along the trail below the rim at Bryce Canyon National Park. It's amazing how many people want to stop and look over your shoulder when you're painting on the Grand Staircase Escalante trail or in Bryce National Park. This photo was taken by an oriental tourist who insisted on having his picture taken with me. 

In the next few posts I thought I'd show a few of my sketchbook field notes, drawings and location paintings from last week's research trip along the Grand Staircase in Utah. I've been painting the Utah landscape for many years, but it was fun to make the trip with a couple of geology professors. It was like having my own living "on-site" Google reference. Any time I had a question I could just ask and they would tell me. And I had lots of questions. Of course their perspective is about the geologic details, and mine is all about the light and shadow on the landscape. Theirs is about accuracy and mine is all about artistic license. So it was a fun pairing. We had a blast together.
    These studies were done in Bryce Canyon. Of course Bryce is not in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (since it is its own national park), but it showcases the Pink Cliffs of the Claron formation on the geologic Grand Staircase, and is probably the must stunning and well-known spot on the route. We spent one whole day here.

My on-location sketchbook study of Thor's Hammer in Bryce Canyon National Park

My on-location plein air painting study of Thor's Hammer in Bryce Canyon National Park

My outdoor plein air painting box made by Sienna holds all my paints, brushes, and paper and sits atop a tripod. It can be set up in minutes anywhere I want to paint. Even on the trail in Bryce Canyon National Park. On the pochade box is my watercolor painting of Thor's Hammer. 140 lb. Arches watercolor paper and Daniel Smith watercolor paints.

Thors Hammer and Temple of Osiris. Watercolor studio painting by Roland Lee

Hitting the Road in my Rolling Studio

Primitive camping at Sand Hollow Reservoir with my 1992 Six Pac Super Mini Camper and classic 1988 Toyota 4 x 4 pickup

Some people may call it vacationing, but for an artist any trip into the country is a chance to sketch and gather painting reference material. That's just what I did last week and this week with research trips to Snow Canyon and Sand Hollow Reservoir. My little Six Pac Super mini camper makes it easy to be on location for those great morning sunrise and evening sunset images. I have the camper outfitted with my plein air painting supplies, and everything I need to stay on location a couple of days at a time. My classic 1988 four wheel drive Toyota pickup is the perfect offroad rig as well, with its high clearance, off-road tires, and small footprint.

Six Pac Super Mini Camper on a 1988 Toyota pickup. Just the right size for off-roading.

My painting rig on the Beach at Sand Hollow Reservoir near St. George UT

Amazing Death Valley

We are in Ridgecrest California for a few days, teaching a watercolor workshop for the Desert Artists League. Yesterday on the way down we took a sidetrip through Death Valley National Park. Being the lowest point in the nation you expect it to be sweltering hot, and it usually is. But with a rare series of heavy rains over the past two days, the valley was inundated with water and we enjoyed a real visual treat both in the sky and on the ground. Enjoy the photos.

Pein Air Painting with the Dixie Watercolor Society

Russell Black, our local master of the Rex Brandt watercolor style, is comfortable outdoors painting on location. 

Lola Krumenacher uses her Sienna paint box to whip up another wonderful painting.

Myron Laub cleans his palette as he prepares to finish his excellent painting.

The old geezer at work with his trusty Anderson Easel (they don't make them anymore) and his all-purpose folding signature plein air chair. Photo by John Mangels.

John Mangels, our fearless critique group leader, and keeper of the website can paint with the best of them.

Mary Manning invents a new easel set-up on the back of her rental car. She has won several national awards lately.

My plein air painting of the red cliffs and Pine Valley Mtn.

Dick Rose served many years as President of our painting group, but now enjoys painting without pressure. He was the best dressed painter with his fancy hat and sweater. Note his sweet painting set-up too.

The Dixie Watercolor Society enjoyed a morning plein air paint out yesterday. Coordinator Myron Laub put together another great trip for about 10 eager painters who painted the Red Cliffs near  Ivins, Utah. The weather was fantastic and the scenery just right. I was able to grab a few photos.

Plein Air Painting at Pine Valley

I have been invited to participate in a special art exhibit at the Eccles Museum this fall featuring paintings of the Dixie National Forest in Southern Utah. A number of other artists have also been invited, along with Arlene Braithwaite who is the featured artist. In preparation for that event my buddy Myron Laub and I enjoyed a morning painting at Pine Valley. We chose a cool and shady spot along the Santa Clara creek where the meandering waters tumbled over rocks and logs.

My little plein air watercolor

My friend Myron Laub came up with a nice plein air watercolor

Southern Utah Watercolor Society Enjoys Plein Air Painting at Pine Valley

Our local painting group, the Southern Utah Watercolor Society decided to head up to the mountains to bask in the cool air recently. Our destination, Pine Valley Mountain turned out to be just the spot. With 105 degree weather down in St. George the cool air and higher elevation of this quaint pioneer town was just the ticket. Some chose to work along the river, and near Pine Valley Reservoir, but most were drawn to the weathered barns and charming pioneer homes. After a morning painting we gathered near the old pioneer chapel and spread our paintings along the fence. We were surprised to find one of our favorite watercolorists, Spike Ress, had dropped in unexpectedly and shared in the critique. Everyone enjoyed a tour of Spike's "custom" van which has been converted into a near-perfect rolling art studio. What a great day painting outdoors!

First Day at Mesa Verde

Our first day of a two-week residency at Mesa Verde was a whirlwind of adventure! First of all our guest hogan is completely charming, decorated in a 1930's pueblo style and offering all the comforts of home. A $200-a-night lodge could not be more welcoming and cozy. Driving in late Sunday night, after an 8-hour trip, we enjoyed a good night's sleep.

Up early, we were thrilled to be greeted by deer, coyote, and turkeys. After checking in to get our backcountry passes and clearance with my good griend Frank Cope, we headed out to get our first glimpse of a cliff dwelling. We picked up a ranger-guided tour at Cliff Palace which is an enormous complex of stone-work tucked underneath an even more enormous rock overhang. It's easy to see why the Ancestral Puebloans found the spot appealing based on protection and views. However it is staggering to imagine the work it must have taken to build this place stone by stone.

Our first look was from high above and we had a chance to take it all in and do a few sketches before dropping down a narrow winding trail into the dwelling. People with bad knees beware! We soon discovered that most of the cliff dwellings were built between 1200 and 1280 AD. Although the Ancestral Puebloans lived and held ceremonies in the structures, much of their time was spent up on the mesa tops where they farmed corn, beans and squash. As we exited the dwellings we had to climb another narrow stone trail and finish by scaling a tall, but sturdy ladder to the surface.

Anxious to see more, we took a guided tour of balcony house. Nellie opted out of this one when she heard we had to enter via a 32 foot ladder and crawl through a narrow 12 foot tunnel. She enjoyed reading in the beautiful weather above, while our small, but congenial group explored the cliff dwelling interior. Once again the view was staggering, as we tried to figure out how in the world they ever climbed up the stone face in the first place. Much archaelogical work has been done on the larger sites, but there are over 600 known cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park.

Later in the day we explored Spruce Tree House, and drove the Mesa Top Loop where we could see countless other cliff dwellings and storage rooms tucked precariously into the cliff face. I had my sketchbook out and worked feverishly to capture a few quick views of each location. Rain is predicted for the rest of the week, so we wanted to get in as much as we could today.

Camping and Sketching in Snow Canyon

We awoke to this glorious view of the sunrise on Snow Canyon's cliffs

A couple of days ago Nellie and I decided to do some tent camping in Snow Canyon. The weather was perfect -- sunny with cool air. We took delightful evening hike on the "Hidden Pinion Trail" and enjoyed a grand night under the Utah stars. We awoke to a glorious sunrise and I was able to do a little drawing in my travel sketchbook. Ahhh the joys of living in paradise!

Wet Weather and Watercolor

Left: "North Fork of the Virgin River" 8 x 12 by Roland Lee

We have had unprecedented moisture in the state of Utah the past few days, which is fortunate for the ski resorts but disastrous for the canyons and deserts. We experienced both as we were pounded by the white stuff while visiting our grandkids in northern Utah, then endured a looooong snowy drive back home only to find the southern deserts being flooded by burgeoning rivers. It's amazing to see nature's incredible power at work and see the landscape carved before our eyes. It is indeed a thing of beauty and terror at the same time. Today I posted a painting on my website of the north fork of the Virgin River the way it looked only a short time ago--quiet, gentle, and harmless. The irony is obvious.

Underneath that big pile of white stuff is my truck. Brrrrr!

In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran Plein Air Show a huge success for everyone involved

The weather was incomparable, the fall colors at their peak, and the artists were in their glory this past week in Zion National Park. It all ended too soon as far as I was concerned, but our glorious "painting vacation" in Zion went out with a bang as hundreds of collectors showed up for the Friday "High-noon Quick-Draw" competition and even more for the big preview Friday night. I was able to complete 8 paintings this week, which is some kind of a record for me, plus another in the one-hour quick draw. My Quick-Draw painting won the high bid at the auction and I sold four more paintings at the plein air sale, and also sold my piece in the Museum show. Most of the other artists did equally as well and the Zion National Park Foundation was able to generate a substantial sum for their projects.

A crowd gathered as the one-hour timer began in the "Quick Draw" event. 23 artists set up around the Human History Museum and collectors dashed from artist to artist watching paintings come alive before their eyes

I am using an Anderson easel and my favorite painting chair to get comfortable for the ordeal. Actually it went quite smoothly and I was relaxed enough to answer questions while I painted

The finished painting of "Mountain of the Sun" seen in the distance

I was impressed with the quality of the paintings produced in such a short time. Although still wet, all paintings were required to be framed and ready for the auction within 30 minutes of completion

I was fortunate to have a number of people bidding on my painting, but Debbie Mace from Sandy, Utah was the high bidder and went home with the painting

The Zion National Park Nature Center became a gorgeous art gallery for the next two days as specially-built panels were used to display the plein air paintings

A limited-ticket reception and sale took place Friday night with a standing room only crowd. Eager collectors snapped up dozens of pieces in the opening minutes of the show and more throughout the weekend. A number of ribbons were given for purchase awards.