In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran - Day 5

We took the morning off to frame up our five paintings for the Bingham Gallery Show tonight at the Maynard Dixon Studio. I feel really good about the plein air paintings - especially after Nellie's craftmanship in framing them. Here's a photo of me with the five pieces.



I photographed some of the sketchbook studies I did this week. Here's a few of them:



Above: The Sentinel and Beehives drawing. Left: The Spearhead and Cathedral Mountain.

In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran - Day 4

This was the final day of painting. Each artist is to have 5 paintings ready for the Bingham Gallery show tomorrow and one for the Zion Lodge Auction on Saturday. I've completed seven paintings, but threw one out, so I'm in good shape. Nellie started framing this morning so we'll be ready to go.

I had Nellie drop me of halfway between Court of the Patriarchs and the Lodge, and I set up along the Virgin River where a great view of Angel's Landing appeared before me framed by an old gnarly Cottonwood tree. I worked there for a couple of hours and came up with a pretty good painting.

After meeting up with Nellie for lunch I set out again on a sketching trip. I wanted to at least sketch at all of the locations in Moran's sketchbook, if not paint there. I worked at Big Bend where the wind was howling down canyon. I sketched The Great White Throne followed by the other end of Big Bend looking West. Then I took the shuttle to the Patriarchs and sketched The Spearhead and Cathedral Mountain. Maybe tomorrow I'll have time shoot and post some of the sketches I've been working on.

My buddy Donal Jolley at work on a painting of Angels Landing from the Zion Lodge. He drew a crowd as he worked on his watercolor. Donal was actually born in Zion, as his dad was the first head ranger here.

We refreshed ourselves with an ice cream cone from the deli in Springdale and visited the Worthington Gallery where Kate Starling exhibits her work. Then we joined the other artists for a reception and light dinner at the Switchback Restaurant. I had the brilliant idea to get all of the participating artists to sign a page in my sketchbook which they all did.

In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran - Day 3

Another fantastic day in God's country! I started day three by doing a painting of the Sentinel and Streaked Wall. I did a sketch there yesterday morning and knew the light would be fantastic. The painting turned out well.


I then set up my easel on the lawn in front of Zion Lodge and painted north towards Angel's Landing. I drew a lot of attention as that is a high traffic area, and had a nice visit with tour groups and guests from all over the world while I was working. Later on Donal Jolley set up in the same location and did a wondrful painting for the onlookers.

Jan Adams from New Hampshire admired my painting and showed me one of her own that she did recently in one of Anne Weiler-Brown's watercolor journaling classes. In the photo she is showing her painting with mine.

In the afternoon I found a wonderful shady spot at the shuttle stop which happens to have a fantastic view of Lady Mountain and the Emerald Falls. Kate Starling joined me at that location and it was fun to watch her perform magic with her oil paints. We had many people stop for a look while getting on and off the shuttle.

As evening drew near I completed a little painting of the Sentinel from the new Visitor's Center. By now I was pretty tired and feeling the effects of the heat so I stopped in at the Human History Museum to gaze at the Zion paintings on display and have another look at Thomas Moran's sketchbook. I was surprised to see a sold sign on my painting of the Watchman. A nice couple from Pennsylvania had purchased it earlier in the day. So that was a nice way to end a busy painting day.

In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran - Day 2

We cranked it up early this morning and were out on location by 8am while the air was still crisp and the canyon winds were blowing. Zion was beautiful today. We stopped first at The Canyon Junction wehere Moran had sketched the Beehives and Streaked Wall. I did the same in my sketchbook and made plans to return in the morning and paint at this spot. The Canyon seems to swallow up the 20 artists, as I rarely run in to anyone.

I returned to the river at the Grotto and finished my painting of Angel's Landing. Karen Mayne and Leslie Courtright from the National Park Service stopped by while I was working there and we got a picture. I did a few more sketchbook studies at Sinawava and finished the day with a painting of the Sentinel from the Visitor's Center.

Leslie Courtright and Karen Mayne have worked hard to plan activities such as this one for Zion's 100 year celebration.

Nancy Denzler and her husband Tim were our roommates at the wonderful East Zion lodge homes. Here Nancy is painting The Pulpit and Altar near the temple of Sinawava.

In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran - Day 1

The Zion Centennial Paint-out "In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran" got underway this morning in Zion National Park. All 21 artists met together at the Human History Museum gallery where we got our first look at Moran's actual sketchbook and got to see the exhibit already underway of paintings by the participating artists. With a little instruction the artists went to the various locations identified from Moran's sketchbook and got busy sketching and painting.


We all got together for a group photos at the Human History Museum against the backdrop of the West Temple and Towers of the Virgin.

Each invited artist submitted a painting in advance for a special exhibit at the Human History museum gallery. I am standing by my painting of "The Watchman."

The first location I chose was along the Virgin River looking north toward Angel's Landing. I set up my Anderson easel and found a shady spot. It wasn't long before I shed my jacket as the sun came over the cliffs, and the gnats began a relentless assault. I got a good start on the painting but will need to go back tomorrow morning for some more work (hopefully with a little deet this time for protection.)


Later in the day I started this painting of cliffs looking south near the Temple of Sinawava. I also did a couple of sketchbook drawings from that location as well -- one of "The Pulpit" and the other of the "Temple of Sinawava."


The public is invited to visit the artists as they work, and we had a number of people stop by today. Several people who were at the Museum talk last Thursday visited us. Kathy Richards (left), one of my art collectors, checked in for a short visit.

Click for more information about the "Footsteps of Thomas Moran Plein Air Paint-out"

Painting in the Footsteps of Thomas Moran

This painting of Zion National Park will be on display at the Bingham Gallery in Mount Carmel as part of the Zion centennial event "In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran."

This next week we will be in Zion National Park taking part in the Plein Air Invitational Paint-out "In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran." The title is significant in that Thomas Moran's sketchbook from his 1873 painting trip to Zion National Park will be on display at Zion, and 20 prominent landscape artists have been invited to paint in the same locations he did. We plan to paint and sketch all week and conclude the event with a "Wet Painting Sale and show" Friday at the Bingham Gallery in Mount Carmel, and another auction at the Zion Lodge on Saturday evening. The public is invited to watch the artists paint each day. A map of painting locations will be provided at the Zion visitors center.

In addition to the paint-out, the Bingham Gallery has mounted a special exhibition of studio paintings by the 20 participating artists. These paintings will remain on exhibit through May and are available for purchase through the gallery. Another exhibit is on display at the Zion Human History Museum Gallery featuring the same artists along with Thomas Moran's actual sketchbook and watercolors. Also Z-Arts will have their annual Artist Open Studio and gallery Tour featuring more than 23 locations on April 25-26. It's going to be a great week to be in Zion. Come up and join us!

To find out more about the events click on the links below:
Roland Lee Website page: In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran
Bingham Gallery Wet Paint Show and Sale
Download brochure with all event information and artist bios

St. George Art Museum Talk with Sculptor Jerry Anderson

"Desert Wagon" was purchased by the City of St. George in the 1980's for their permanent collection. It is on display at the St. George Art Museum as part of the "30 Years of Art Festival Acquisitions" exhibit at the St. George Art Museum.

Last night my good friend Jerry Anderson and I teamed up to give a presentation at the St. George Art Museum. The talk was a part of the current exhibit featuring 30 years of art acquisitions from the St. George Art Festival. Jerry spoke about the bronze casting process and showed many of his wonderful bronzes. I described the watercolor painting process I use in my work. Jerry and I met back in the 1970's and began exhibiting together often in the 1980's. He and his wife Fawn were very helpful in encouraging us in the early days of my painting career. We also shared a love of bluegrass and country music and later played in a band together -- he on banjo and I on guitar.

Say hello to our 20th grandchild

Yesterday little Cody Blair Lee, grandchild #20 came into the world in American Fork Utah. He is the son of my oldest boy Jim and his wife Barb. We were able to be see our new grandson in the hospital after he was born and spent some time with our other grandchildren last night.

We awoke to a winter-wonderland this morning and I had to un-bury my truck so we could come home.


Our home in Highland as it looked this beautiful spring morning.

Presentation at the Utah Watercolor Society Cache Valley Chapter

Above: Roland Lee visits with Dianne Adams in her painting studio upstairs at her Deweyville, Utah home.

We drove up to Cache Valley Utah Tuesday where I gave a watercolor presentation to the Cache Valley Chapter of the Utah Watercolor Society. About 35 artists showed up at the old Thatcher Mansion in Logan for the meeting. Chapter president Dianne Adams invited me to speak, and hosted Nellie and I in their home. She is a fantastic watercolorist and I was able to trade her for one of her full sheet paintings. Her husband Doug is an amazing sculptor as well and sent us home with one of his "bell sculptures." We certainly came out on the top end of that deal.

Dianne Adams' award-winning watercolor painting "Point of Light" hanging the living room of Roland Lee's home. The painting won the past presidents award at the 2008 spring exhibit of the UWS.

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.