The Mission Gallery opens in St. George, UT

Roland Lee (right) with fellow artist Lynn Griffin at the opening artist's reception of the Mission Gallery in St. George, Utah

Although the Mission Gallery has been open for business for several months, they just completed the remodeling and signage and held an offical ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning which I attended. In addition a good number of art appreciators stopped by for the open house and artist reception tonight. I'm not crazy about receptions, but I do enjoy visiting with those who appreciate art. So I had a pleasant time chatting with the collectors and looking at the new paintings. A number of top regional painters are exhibiting at the Mission Gallery, and I will enjoy being among them. I currently have 9 paintings on display there. Thanks to Jane Juber for her foresight and vision in creating her second gallery in St. George. She also owns the Authentique Gallery.



The Mission Gallery is located in a wonderful old adobe pioneer home in Ancestor Square at 173 North Main Street, St. George, UT 84770. For information call Toll Free 866-999-1278

Demonstration Painting Sage in the Sun

The light in the desert is always a prevalent feature of the landscape. The shapes of mesas, and desert shrubs are well-delineated by the sunlight hitting the surfaces and bouncing around to create a wonderful pattern of warms and cools. Our eye is naturally drawn to light objects against darker backgrounds. The painting above was painted to demonstrate how powerful that effect can be in even something as simple as a sagebrush in the sand.

Demonstration Paintings Step by Step

I focused this class on learning to see the lights in nature. I have learned over the years that we really see objects that are light against dark, rather than dark against light. The objects we see first in the landscape are the ones that are recieving light when viewed against a darker background. In this demonstration I showed the students how to analyze what you see, then work up a simple value study to determine the positive and negative shapes.



Above: First I begin with a pencil study to determine lights and darks



Above: Detail of the finished watercolor study. Notice how we see the edges clearly because of the contrast between light and dark. It is the main way we see shapes in nature.

Painting Workshop Day 2 -- "Learning to See the Landscape"

I really enjoy teaching workshops, especially because of the friendships that are developed. I was joined by a really special group of students at this class with a ton of talent and experience. Some of their work is truly outstanding. I sure hope I was able to share something with them that was meaningful. If nothing else, I think we all encouraged each other to work harder. I developed a new Powerpoint demonstration for this session called "Learning to see the Landscape."

Painting the Landscape in Watercolor

September 2006 Roland Lee Watercolor Painting Workshop Participants: Barbara Hunter, Lola Krummenacher, Mary Beth Anderson, Carolyn Ostler, Tyler Nelson, Gevene Savala, Carrie Ruppe, and Lindy Bryant.

I always enjoy getting together with other artists to paint. One of the best ways to get that started is to teach a painting workshop. It's a wonderful place to share ideas, thoughts, and techniques with people who have the same addiction to the art of making pictures. Below is a photo of the demonstration painting I started in class along with the value study sketch I used to plan the painting.

Roland Lee Watercolor Workshop Details

The two-day Roland Lee watercolor workshop September 25-26 will be held at Passion for Painting Gallery located at 310 East Tabernacle Street, St. George, UT 84770. Contact Becky Whitney for registration. Telephone(435) 628 - 5890

Future workshop dates: November 9-10, 2006; January 11-12, 2007; February 8-9, 2007

Only 8 students are accepted into each workshop to allow plenty of one-on-one time with each workshop participant

Watercolor Landscape Painting Workshop

On Monday and Tuesday I will teach an all-day watercolor landscape painting workshop for advanced students. I consider it a big responsibility to try to share with others the things I have learned in the past 30 years of painting. It's not that I think I know any more than other artists. I can probably share everything I know in just a few minutes. But the act of getting together with other artists and sharing the enthusiasm and excitement of making art, now that's what it is all about.

Painting juried into "Lucky 13" Show

I received notification today that my painting, "Fisherman" was juried into the Lucky 13 National Art Competition in Mesquite Nevada. The show features only miniature paintings which must be less than 13 inches at the longest dimension including the mats and frame. I have to admit this is the smallest painting I've ever had accepted in a national juried exhibition.



"The Fisherman" original watercolor by Roland Lee

The Mission Gallery Opens in St. George, Utah

On Friday September 29 The Mission Art Gallery will hold its ribbon cutting and grand opening in St. George, Utah. The gallery, operated by Jane Juber, will feature the work of Roland Lee along with other regional artists. Unlike other galleries in the area, the Mission Gallery carries only high end original artwork. No prints or reproductions are displayed in the gallery. I will be present at the opening reception along with several of the other featured artists. Stop by and see some of my newest paintings. Reception from 6 - 9pm. 173 North Main Street, St. George, UT 84770. For information call Toll Free 866-999-1278.



Mt. Kineseva View - Zion National Park, is one of my new watercolor paintings on display at the mission gallery. This view is from the nearby ghost town of Grafton, just outside of Rockville.

Leaves Starting to Turn in Zion Canyon

Usually about this time of year we head for Vermont to take in the fall colors and do some painting. This year because of the library commission and several workshops I'm teaching I have to forego that pleasure. However, Fall in Utah is something to behold too. While at the cabin yesterday we noticed the change beginning on the oak leaves. With the cool air that worked its way in over the weekend that will probably speed up the process. I scouted out a couple of great spots to return to in Zion Canyon when the Cottonwoods turn their brilliant yellow-gold.

More sketchbook drawings of Zion National Park