Canyon Country Paintings Exhibit Opens

We enjoyed a good turnout at the opening reception Friday night at the St. George Art Museum. The mezzanine level features my show plus a pottery exhibit by artist and friend Glen Blakley. It was good to finally get the exhibit up. I have about 28 original paintings on display including Lake Powell, Zion National Park, Capitol Reef, Snow Canyon, Kayenta and other southwest desert locations. Also on display are sketchbook drawings done on location and demonstration displays featuring step-by-step painting techniques. The show will run through July 7, 2007. Now I'm on way up to Salt Lake City to do a demonstration for the Utah Watercolor Society, then I'll only have a few days to finalize my work for the St. George Art Festival next weekend.

Hanging the Show at the Art Museum

Because of a quick show turnaround time the St. George Art Museum, it was "all hands on deck" as we went to work hanging my one man show. Having owned a gallery for many years, Nellie and I are experienced at hanging art, so with help and guidance from Deborah Reeder, Ramona Larson, and April Cummings we launched into the project. By afternoon the show was hung and we all think it looks terrific. I have about 28 original watercolor paintings on display along with sketchbook drawings and educational displays describing the watercolor painting process. We open Friday March 30 with an artist reception from 6pm to 8pm.

A very early watercolor painting

I had a a surprise visit from collector, Joyce Oveson, who brought in one of my very first watercolor paintings for cataloging. She had purchased the painting from the original owner back in 1982 then moved from the area and so I had no record of where it was. It's always fun to visit with my collectors, as I try to keep track of each painting and its whereabouts. Sometimes it becomes a challenge when paintings change hands or get passed on to others after a death. Joyce still treasures her little painting of a desert scene called "Desert Shadows."

Ansel Adams Photo Exhibit

Ansel Adams, Cathedral Peak, 1938. ©2006 The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust.

Nellie and I spent the last week in Sacramento at a Public Lands conference where I was representing Zion National Park. In between conference sessions we were able to slip away and visit a wonderful exhibit of Yosemite photographs by Ansel Adams at the Crocker Art museum. In addition to photos from the permanent collection there were a series from a horseback trip he took with Georgia O'Keefe and others in 1938. As everyone knows Adams worked in black and white using the "zone system" to cover a wide range of grays and middle values. While I had seen many of his photographs, it was exciting to see photos actually printed by his own hand and signed in pencil. What a spectacular exhibit!

March 2007 Roland Lee Painting Workshop

I enjoyed having another group of fine artists at my March 2007 Watercolor Painting Workshop in St. George. Our focus was on painting the red rock landscape in watercolor. The weather was so great we ditched the classroom for awhile and slipped up on the red hill for a little sketching.

Our group came from several western states including four excellent watercolorists from Mesquite Nevada: Barbara Worley, Diane Taterka, Joanne Johansen, and Peggy Peterson. Bessann Peterson and Karen Bettilyon came down from Salt Lake City, Utah. Tyson Kartchner drove down from Boulder, Colorado while Pat Gibson travelled from Willow Creek, Montana. Lola Krummenacher and Glen Bessonette were repeat students from the St. George, Utah area.

Becky Whitney hosted the class at Passion for Painting Gallery and had stretched a Happy Birthday banner across the room for my birthday. She also gave me a birthday gift of a fantastic Anderson French Easel. I love it because you don't have to wrestle with the legs -- they slide out and snap quickly into place. I can't wait to try it out.

Tyson Kartchner from Boulder Colorado studies the value and colors of shadows on the red hills above St. George, Utah.

Glen Bessonette works on a sketchbook drawing during the Roland Lee painting workshop.

Sandstone Towers Zion Painting

I began this painting "Sandstone Towers" as a live demonstration at the Kayenta Art Festival. During the course of the demo Leslie Layton, a previous collector, was so excited about it she wanted to buy the painting on the spot. I encouraged her to wait until the painting was completed and agreed to let her see it first before putting it on the website. She saw the finished piece today and snapped it up along with two other small original paintings.




the painting started with a small thumbnail sketch.

Partially completed, you can see the basic underglazes which create texture and warmth on the cliffs. I am preserving the white areas in the foreground for tree branches and details.

Here I am hard at work on the painting during the Kayenta Art Festival. I finished the painting later in my studio.

Roland Lee Painting Auctioned for College Scholarships

Each year I donate an original painting to the Dixie State College Foundation's annual Fire and Ice banquet and auction. My painting "Rio Virgin in Zion" was purchased tonight by Ralph and Cheri Atkin, long-time collectors, for $4800.00. All of the money will help needy students with full and partial scholarships to Dixie State College. A number of previous collectors were on hand to join in the bidding, but eventually the Atkins won the auction.

I enjoyed chatting with another collector, Boyd Silver, after the event. He has three of my original watercolors. I appreciate so much all the collectors who have purchased my paintings over the years and really enjoy seeing them again.

Snow in St.George

Now just a few days ago I was bragging about the flowers blossoming and Spring being in full bloom. All that changed today. Take a look.

My studio from the parking lot.


The view out my studio window.

Lake Powell Quiet Canyons Painting

I feel like I'm catching on to it a little. With a nod to my hero David Drummond, I used a photo I shot near Bullfrog on Lake Powell and tried to capture the glassy undulating feel of the smooth water beneath the striated cliffs. I can almost hear the "plop" of my bass lure as I sling it near the rocks. I had this one framed with a knotty alder frame in a light stain, with ivory mats, and the whole package looks great. Maybe I ought to just keep this one. Ah, but it's going in the upcoming St. George Art Museum Canyon Country show in March. Click for purchase information

The first step is to sketch out my drawing on 140 lb. Arches paper. I then begin with a wet-in-wet wash for the sky. It is completed in just a few minutes and allowed to dry with no overglazing.

I also use a wet-in-wet watercolor technique for the water and the rocks. After they are dry I can use wet-on-dry overglazes to add color, contrast, and detail.

A good way to build up texture on the rocks with watercolor is to splatter with clear water just before the glaze dries. This creates a fun random texture that looks very much like stains on the canyon walls.

Washington County Library Dedication 2007

Photo above l to r: Ben Rogers the library architect and his wife Michelle; Ben's mother and Nellie's sister-in-law Anna Marie Rogers Budge; Nellie Lee; and Roland Lee standing in front of one of Roland's historical murals.

Yesterday, on President's Day they held a wonderful old-time ceremony celebrating the dedication of the new Washington County Library. Since I painted the murals, Nellie and I attended the whole event. It started at 10am with a packed house in the historic St. George Tabernacle to hear a dedicatory address and prayer by LDS Apostle Jeff Holland. After the ceremony we formed a cavalcade led by a brass band in pioneer costume and marched together arouind the corner to the Library. Here hundreds of people filled the facility to overflowing exploring every inch of the new library. Designed by Nellie's nephew, Ben Rogers, it is constructed of natural sandstone in the same style as the other pioneer buildings on the town square. I stood by my mural answering questions about its production. We finished the day with a nice luncheon especially honoring all the donors who contributed so much to the facility. My two large murals were commissioned by the Larkin family in honor of Montrue Larkin who fought for many years to acquire this new library.