New Zion Book Funded on Kickstarter

Discovering Zion, a Pictorial Guide to the landscape, Geology, and History of Zion National Park by Roland Lee, Robert Eves, and Lyman Hafen.

We decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign on line to help fund our new Zion Book called "Discovering Zion, a Pictorial Guide to the landscape, Geology, and History of Zion National Park." We were amazed to see many of our friends and supporters  dive in to help us achieve our goal in just 12 hours. We are so grateful to the many people who supported our efforts.Additional funds raised will be used to seed a new program which will bring students into the park to have a plein air painting experience. Thanks again to everyone. The book will be released in early fall.

Spreads from Discovering Zion, a Pictorial Guide to Zion National Park

Plein Air Utah Retreat and Rendezvous

Father and son team, Roland Lee and Jim Lee at Plein Air Rendezvous & Retreat

About 80 artists and 20 more instructors joined together in Midway Utah for the 2018 Plein Air Utah Retreat and Rendezvous. Four days of daily instruction, demos, seminars and outdoor painting culminated in a fantastic "Wet Paint Show and Sale" at the Midway town hall. Jointly sponsored by the Midway Art Association and the Plein Air Painters of Utah, the event is now in its second year. I was one of the instructors and made a presentation on plein air painting and gave a watercolor painting demonstration.  It was great to rub shoulders with Utah's best painters and aspiring artists. We have so much talent here in Utah. It was fun to have my artist son Jim Lee join us as well.

Original photograph, Sketchbook pencil study, and finished watercolor painting demonstrated at the 2018 Plein Air Utah Retreat in Midway UT

Roland Lee Finished watercolor demonstration painting at Midway Utah

Travels Down Under

My wife Nellie and I joined a group of friends for a few weeks in the land "down under." Starting in Sydney Australia, we toured the outback and seaside for a few days before boarding a cruise ship for New Zealand. Stopping at various ports we were able to explore lots of places on shore. I carried a sketchbook and recorded my thoughts as we went. The result is a show of about 12 new paintings completed since we returned last month. They will remain on display in my gallery until Christmas.

Sydney Opera House and harbor

Otago Bay Lighthouse near Dunedin New Zealand

Larnach Castle Gardens, Dunedin NZ

Larnach Castle Sea View New Zealand

Milford Sound Waterfalls New Zealand

Cedar Breaks Plein Air and Wildflower Festival - "Arts Afire"

Roland Lee painting at Cedar Breaks National Monument. Photo by Jean Bjerke

Painting outdoors is always fun. But to spend an entire week painting en plein air in a National Monument is truly special. I was given that opportunity when invited to participate in "Arts Afire" at Cedar Breaks National Monument recently.  The glowing red and white cliffs that cascaded down into the amphitheater at Point Supreme and Chessman Point drew my attention immediately. But as the week progressed I found myself equally entranced by the gently rolling fields of colorful wildflowers surrounded by groves of Evergreens.
     Many people stopped to look over my shoulder as I worked along the rim, where tourists flocked to see the views. I cheerfully answered their questions and often agreed to pose with them for photos. The photo above was shot by professional Cedar City photographer Jean Bjerke, who caught my silhouette as the sun dropped behind the distant cliffs at Point Supreme. As the light faded and the brushes were put away,  I headed for my camper to await the dawn of another day.

Sketching in the Mountains of Colorado

While staying with my daughter Jana and her family, I was able to get in some fun outdoor sketching. Their beautiful mountain home is surrounded by Evergreens of all kinds and big granite boulders. I love this place.

Plein air sketching in Conifer, near Evergreen, Colorado

Guest Artist at Valley High School

Art students at Valley High School in Orderville, working in their new sketchbooks

Last week I was invited to be a guest instructor at my grandson, Travis Lee's Valley High School in Orderville Utah. Art teacher Connie Goulding asked me to visit two of her art classes and teach them how to use their new sketchbooks. I had a great time and found out this is a very good group of artists. Their projects were outstanding, and they all willingly participated in the exercises I gave them to help them learn to see with their artists brain. I have no doubt we will see some great sketchbook drawings in the coming weeks.

Roland Lee teaching art class at Valley High School

Art students working on drawing exercise learning to see values

Drawing is serious business!

Some of Valley High's best art students at work

A group of serious art students

Roland Lee teaching drawing skills at Valley High School

Guest artists Roland Lee demonstrating drawing techniques in Connie Goulding's art class at Valley High School.

Sketching at Pine Valley

Camping at Pine Valley Reservoir with "Old Blue" my 1988 Toyota truck and Six Pac camper.

Nellie and I took "Old Blue" up to beautiful Pine Valley last night for a little R and R and R (That's Rest, Relaxation, and Research). One of my art collectors wanted me to do a commission painting of their Pine Valley log cabin, so we took a drive up to take some photos and stayed the night at Pine Valley Reservoir. It was cool, green and wonderful. We got the last remaining campsite at the Dean Gardner Loop, which is in a stand of large pine trees adjacent to the Reservoir. The smell of mountain pines swaying in the breeze can't be beat! Before nightfall I managed a few sketches of the trees in my travel sketchbook.

Sketchbook pencil study of an evergreen tree by our campsite in Dean Gardner loop at Pine Valley

Sketchbook Pencil study of a stand of Oaks near our campsite at Pine Valley

"Old Blue," my art assault vehicle doing aquatic research at Sand Hollow Reservoir

I have to admit, half the fun of having a vintage truck and a six-pac camper is just plain camping! Always ready to roll, the camper also enjoys aquatic research once in a while. Nellie joined me for an evening at Sand Hollow Reservoir. :)

Six Pac Mini Camper on "Old Blue" my vintage Toyota pickup

Roland Lee Drawing and Sketch Book Journaling Workshop

Roland Lee Drawing Class in St. George Utah

Learning to see edges as value changes

Eight accomplished artists joined together for my April class on Sketchbook drawing and journaling. It was a fun experience with some quality art produced. We started in the studio with a powerpoint demonstration and exercises to hone our ability to see values, edges, and shapes--key elements in drawing. The techniques I taught were designed to give them the tools they need to draw anything in nature. We then went outdoors to sketch on location at Green Gate Village, a delightful place with pioneer homes, buggies, and old cars. Ed and Lindy Sandstrom, the owners, are kind enough to allow our workshop participants to sketch there frequently. Those attending included: Kurtis Larsen, Mark Rose, Peggy Hackney, Elsa Howard, Sharon Bunderson, Shari Cannon, Yvonne Hatton and Carol Lopacinski.

Gathering for a group photo at Green Gate Village during Roland Lee Drawing Workshop

Carol Lopacinski getting ready to sketch at Green Gate Village

Kurtis Larsen working in his sketch book at Green Gate Village

Shari Cannon sketching on the lawn at Green Gate Village in St. George Utah

Artist Mark Gunn Rose drawing on location in his Watson Guptill Sketchbook

Peggy Hackney finds a comfortable place to sketch during Roland Lee Drawing Workshop in St. George

Elsa Howard, Peggy Hackney and Shari Cannon in the studio during a Roland Lee Drawing Workshop at A Passion for Painting

Sharon Bunderson, Yvonne Hatton, and Kurtis Larson in Roland Lee Drawing Workshop

New Roland Lee Paintings from Europe Art Show December 11 - 31

You are invited to an art show and sale of new paintings from my recent trip to Italy, Germany, and Switzerland. I have been working on both small and large paintings which include the colorful medieval cities of Italy, the Tuscan countryside, Canals of Venice, Swiss Alps, and even the intriguing Neuschwanstein Castle of Germany. The paintings are at the framers now and will be ready to show beginning December 11 in my downtown studio. Stop by and take a look. Hours will be from 10am to 5pm weekdays. My studio is located at 165 North 100 East #2, St. George UT 84770. Here is a sample of what you'll see:

Roland Lee painting of Ponte Vecchio in Florence Italy

Roland Lee painting of town square in Lucca Italy

Roland Lee painting of Lucca Italy towers from the town wall

Roland Lee painting of Gondola in Venice Italy

Back from Europe with a loaded sketch book

Nellie and I in Germany below Castle Neuschwanstein

We just returned from 18 days in Europe. The weather was wonderful and the scenery spectacular. I filled a sketchbook with drawings and can't wait to turn them into paintings. I am planning for a European Painting show sometime in early December that will include paintings from Tuscany and the Bavarian Alps. In the next couple of weeks I will post some of the drawings. In the meantime I will participate in The Plein Air Artists of Utah group show at Alderwood Gallery in Salt Lake City October 17, and a three-man show at Fibonacci's new Main Street Gallery in St. George October 24-25 with Steve McGinty and Jason Bowen.

Roland Lee sketching in Italy

Budding Artists Visit My Studio

My daughter's friend Kirstin Anderson teaches weekly art classes to children in Cedar City, Utah. She brought some of the students to St. George today for a visit to my studio and gallery, as well as make some pottery, and visit the St. George Art Museum. The young people were interested in my watercolor paintings, but especially liked the travel sketch books. They had lots of good questions and it was fun talking to them.

Kirstin Anderson's art students visit the Roland Lee Studio and Gallery

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

Sketching and Painting the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

Artist Roland Lee making a sketch in his field book on a research trip of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Photo by Dr. Robert L. Eves

What a week! Nellie and I enjoyed four days traveling the backroads of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument taking in the sites, studying the geology of the region, and making sketchbook studies and plein air paintings. Now that's what I call a fun week all in the name of work. We were joined by Nellie's sister Tricia and husband Dr. Robert Eves, and his colleague Dr. Larry Davis--both geology professors. Our goal was to retrace the steps they took in producing a road guide to the Grand Staircase geology about 12 years ago, and update it with illustrations and original artwork. That's where I came in. They provided the geologic information and I provided the artwork. We hope to have laid the foundation for not only an update of their previous road guide, but possibly a new guidebook aimed at simplifying the geology of the Grand Staircase for artists and photographers.

Roland Lee, Professor Robert Eves and Professor Larry Davis at LeFevre Overlook on Highway 89A. From here you can see all the geologic layers of Utah's Grand Staircase which extend northward for 150 miles from Grand Canyon to Bryce Canyon.

From LeFevre Overlook we survey the landscape we will cover over the next few days.

Dr. Robert L. Eves and Dr. Larry Davis discuss the development of the sandstone narrows of Willis Creek on the Skutumpah Terrace section of the Grand Staircase in Utah. Photo by Roland Lee