St. George Art Festival Successful in Spite of Rain

A little rain on Saturday threatened to dampen the St. George Art Festival, but the crowds came out in droves anyway (umbrellas and shorts). The show moved this year from the street to the new town square with its huge lawn parade grounds and we all liked it a lot. The lawn made the whole show cooler, more casual, and lots more comfortable to set up our booths on. We were also pleased with the booth placement leaving much wider aisles and alleys every second booth. And as usual the St. george City Arts and Leisure Services crew were outstanding in keeping the show organized and tightly run. Our sales were good both days, as were the sales of many of the visiting artists. I enjoyed having most of my kids and 16 of my grandkids in town for the weekend (a tradition) and they really liked all the stuff for kids.

Art Collectors Visit My Studio

I had a nice surprise visit to my art studio today from a California family who own one of my early paintings. Ray and Phyllis Smith and their daughter Candi stopped by on their way to Colorado. They own painting #91, "The Climbing Tree" which was painted in 1981. They bought the painting on the secondary market so I didn't have them on my records. I try to keep track of all my paintings and their ownership, so it was great to meet the Smith family. Both Phyllis and Candi are currently studying watercolor painting so I was able to give them a few tips while they were here as well.

St. George Art Festival This Weekend

I'm trying to get a few more pieces framed for the St. George Art Festival coming up this Easter weekend. Traditionally the city is packed with sun-seekers on this weekend as about 200 artists come to town and set up displays in the downtown Town Square. The show runs Friday and Saturday from 10am til 6pm. In addition to some new paintings, I will be introducing several new giclee prints of Zion National Park and Lake Powell, along with a giclee of the historic St. George LDS Temple. Most of my kids and grandkids will also be in town for a weekend of snow cones, Navajo Tacos, and face painting.
Paintings Top: Lake Powell Cliffs. Above: Icy River. Left: Temple Glory, available as a giclee print.

April Watercolor Painting Workshop

We just concluded our April Watercolor Workshop. We spent quite a bit of time on painting clouds and skies. Artists attending included Alice Hemming (Maryland), Angie Frabasilio (Rockville), Gail Alger (Springdale), Carolyn Ostler (Wyoming), Louise Crosby (St. George), Erin Boorman (St. George). This is the last workshop until Fall.

See more watercolor painting workshop photos

Robert Gardner Monument Unveiled by Sculptor Jerry Anderson

Tonight we attended the unveiling of the new Robert Gardner Monument. My good friend Jerry Anderson sculpted the image of Pioneer Robert Gardner driving the stake in 1862 identifying the center of what would become the city of St. George. That point, and the location of the sculpture is on the traffic circle at Main Street and Tabernacle.
Above: The Robert Gardner monument with the St. George Tabernacle in the background

Prior to the unveiling, Jerry Anderson was honored at a reception and dinner at the St. George Art Center along with the many artists participating in the 2009 Art Around the Corner project. Artist Matt Clark also received an award for his contributions to the art community, as well as his long-time service on the Art Around the Corner committee.


Above: The cover is removed at the unveiling of the new Robert Gardner sculpture on the roundabout at Main Street and Tabernacle in St. George

Thoughts on Turning 60

Well I finally reached the pinnacle of my life. Yep, I turned 60. Of course, just when I thought I would start getting senior discounts, they pushed the "real" senior demarcation line up to age 62. Oh well, I don't really feel much older than 59anyway. In an effort to make me feel a little better, my kids and grandkids threw a fun birthday bash over the weekend at my son Jon's home near Richfield Utah.



One of the funnest gifts was a wonderful "Tribute to Grandpa" book with thoughts and pictures from everybody about their experiences with me over the years. My grandkids and I read it together over and over.



A group hug for Grandpa Lee. The best part of the party was getting to see most of my cute grandkids and spend time with them. I'll have all of them with us over Easter weekend when Jana and her family come up from Houston.



Jon and his friend Russ invited me on a bass fishing trip to Lake Powell, and I figured I deserved a little vacation for my birthday. The weather was great, and even though the water is still too cold, we caught some nice fish, and I caught some z's in the afternoon sun. Ahhh, what a great birthday.



My grandson Travis and his friend Hayden tagged along on our fishing trip and both caught some nice fish. My son Jon holds the bass in this picture.

Visit to the Bingham Gallery in Maynard Dixon Country

The Bingham Gallery in Mt. Carmel Utah. Paul and Susan Bingham operate the gallery which is located on the art-historic site of Maynard Dixon's summer home and studio.

We took a liesurely drive from Zion National Park up Highway 89 to visit our grandkids in Annabella Utah. On the way, we stopped for a visit at the Bingham Fine Art Gallery which is located on the former Maynard Dixon Studio property at Mount Carmel, Utah. Paul and Susan Bingham are among the foremost experts on artist Maynard Dixon and each year host "Maynard Dixon Country" an invitational paint out and show at that location. In April they will co-host a similar event called "In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran." I have been invited to participate in that event and will have paintings on display at the Bingham Gallery from April 1-25, 2009. I will post more about that show later.

Hiking with the grandkids in Zion National Park

We had a board meeting of the Zion Natural History Association March 21 at Zion National Park. The meeting lasted all morning and concluded with a nice lunch. My daughter Jodi brought her three boys up for a little outdoor adventure in the canyon. After the meeting I joined them on the Pa'Rus trail where they excitedly told me about a little owl they had seen up in one of the trees. There's a lot to do in Zion for even very young children -- even kids in strollers! Hats off to all the moms like Jodi who get their kids outdoors to discover what a great place we live in.

Binghams Purchase Zion Park Painting

Glenn and Elizabeth Bingham purchased my award-winning painting "Solace at Sinawava" from the Sears Invitational art show which ended Saturday. They own a magnificent home with a 180 degree panoramic view of southern Utah's cliffs and selected the painting to grace the soaring walls of their library room. Nellie and I delivered the painting and helped hang it above the fireplace on a wall richly panelled in dark cherry wood. The painting looks magnificent in that location. It's always an honor for me to visit the homes where my paintings hang and see the joy they bring to their new owners.
See a step by step painting demonstration on this painting

Sculptor Matt Clark Gives Inspiring Presentation at St. George Art Museum

Above: Photographer/artist Gene Butera, watercolorist Roland Lee, and sculptor Matt Clark after Matt's talk at the St. George Art Museum

Sculptor Matt Clark gave an inspiring presentation at the St. George Art Museum Thursday Night. He showed how he creates welded metal sculpures from both found objects and formed steel. I have the privilege of owning one of his gorgeous pieces and love looking at its fluid lines and elegant form. Matt set out to become a rodeo cowboy but his life changed dramatically when he was paralyzed by an accident in his teens. After years of difficult therapy he regained use of his arms and upper body. He renewed his interest in welding and adapted his tools so he could work from his wheelchair. At first he created whimsical creatures with found objects but after discovering Henry Moore, his focus changed and his work developed into a fine art. He has participated in many shows and has received multiple awards for his work.