Watercor Painting Workshop for the Southern Utah Watercolor Society

I enjoyed spending the day today with a group of outstanding artists. It was the first of a two-day painting workshop I am teaching for the Southern Utah Watercolor Society at Southern Utah University in Cedar City. Participating artists include: Linda McCulloch, Natalie Wood, Jennifer Alger, Geraldine Botkins, Hazel Grant, Tina Daves, Debbie Robb, Marianne Caudill, Rebecca Staley, Dorothy Uherka, Loretta Clayson, and Jennifer Stucki.


My painting class outside doing a little sketching

Fishing at Newcastle

I was pretty tired when I got to the Eves tonight after teaching my workshop. But I had renewed strength when Robert was readying his bass tracker boat as I drove up. Hmmm, maybe I could muster enough strength for a quick fishing trip to Newcastle Reservoir. I'm glad I did. The fishing was great and we had a pleasant evening on the lake. I caught the biggest bass of the day.

Cool Canyon Painting

I finished this painting today. I am enjoying painting water and I really liked how the steep canyon walls and light from the distant trees reflected in this river scene along the Fremont near Capitol Reef National Park. I'm trying to finish up a few paintings and get ready to teach a two-day workshop this Friday and Saturday for the Southern Utah Watercolor Society in Cedar City. Utah.

I begin the painting with a light pencil drawing on Arches Watercolor Paper. I then start with light loose glazes using warm tones.

I shape the trees using negative painting to paint the darker cliffs behind the trees.

The Art of Communication - Article in Spanish Publication

Roland Lee (right) converses with artist Guadalupe Rodriguez from Stylecraft about a framing order. Photo and article by Kevin Jenkins.



Piedad Hayashi (left) and Victor Enriquez visit the St. George Art Museum where Roland Lee discusses his current show "Roland Lee's Canyon Country." Photo by Kevin Jenkins of the Spectrum

El Sol, St. George's Spanish language publication published an article about my interests in both art and as an English teacher. Since last summer I have served as voluteer director of the "Daily Dose" english language program. We meet two nights a week to help people gain conversational skills in the language. I have met and befriended hundreds of Latinos in that time, but they don't know me as an artist, just as their "maestro" (teacher).

Painting of The Old Rock Church at Cedar City

Built in the 1930's by local volunteers The Rock Church is perhaps one of the most familiar buildings in Cedar City. Although the architecture appears European, all the materials used to build it are local including a variety of colored rock found nearby. It is still used today as place of worship but is also open for visitors as a museum.

Spring Creek Hike near Kanarraville

Yesterday I was invited to join my sister-in-law Barbara Aikens and a few of her friends for a short hike up Spring Creek Trail above Kanarraville. The weather was perfect and the wildflowers were in bloom as we started the hike. After following the creek for a short while we began to wind our way into a narrow slot canyon with high carved sandstone walls. The reflected light cast a warm glow on the walls and the canyon floor.

Larry and Gwen discuss the weathered rock formations as they rest in the cool shade of the sandstone canyon

Since I left early, I had time to run by Quail Lake to check out the fishing, and stopped to do this little sketch of the arch near Red Cliffs that you can see clearly from the north end of the Lake.

While waiting for the group to arrive I sketched this drawing of the entrance road to the trailhead.

Painting the Old Rock Church in Cedar City

Yesterday I was interviewed for an article in St. George Magazine dealing with my paintings of southern Utah's history. I am fascinated by the pioneer history of this area that I call home, and have done numerous paintings which deal with that subject.
Right now I am working on a painting of the Old Rock Church in Cedar City. I've been over there a couple of times to do research work on it, and get some sketches.

Petroglyph Drawings at Parowan Gap

On my way back from Salt Lake City yesterday I took a wide swing out to Minersville, then down to the Parown Gap to see the petroglyphs. The varnish walls over a large area were chipped out into a myriad of designs by ancient inhabitants of the land, presumably from the Fremont or Southern Paiute cultures. At any rate they were done long before Ute Chief Walker told the Mormon Pioneers the place was called "God's Own House." No one knows for sure the meaning of the inscriptions. The Parowan Gap was used by early Mormon Pioneer explorers as a route from northern to southern Utah. In 1850 an exploration group discovered the Indian petroglyphs at Parowan Gap and clerk/historian Robert Campbell copied some in his journal.

Visiting the Art Museum with my Latino Friends

Kevin Jenkins interviewed me today for an article in the Spanish publication "El Sol." My two friends, Piedad and Victor, came to the St. George Art Museum to see my Canyon Country exhibit. Victor is an artist in woodworking, and Pili is an expert in the culinary arts from my favorite Mexican Restaurant "Irmita's." I am the volunteer director of the local "Daily Dose" English language program for Latinos and enjoy associating with many wonderful people at our Tuesday and Thursday evening classes. I consider every one the students and maestros my personal friends.

Frederick Dellenbaugh Painting of Zion in 1903

Above: Lyman Hafen, Executive director of Zion Natural History Association and Leslie Courtright, Curator of Collections at Zion National Park, stand beside the newly acquired painting by Frederick Dellenbaugh. On the wall behind is a painting of Zion by Roland Lee which is also a part of Zion's permanent collection.

The Zion National Park Foundation, of which I am a board member, was able to buy at auction a wonderful historically significant painting by Frederick Dellenbaugh this week. Through a generous donation from the Eccles Foundation we acquired the piece from an art and antique auction in Knoxville Tennessee. We in turn will donate the piece to the permanent collection of Zion National Park. We're especially excited because we are developing an art exhibit for the 100 year anniversary of Zion Park in 2009. The painting, completed about 1903, depicts Zion National Park from the canyon floor about where Springdale is today.



1903 painting by Frederick Dellenbaugh of Zion National Park