Three New Pioneer Paintings

"Death Cannot Conquer" 16 x 21 Watercolor of Carthage Jail


"The Nauvoo Temple, Winter 1845-46" 24 x 30 Watercolor


"The Ellis Mendenhall Sanders House in Nauvoo" 14 x 21 Watercolor

I have been working on several commission paintings from our family history trip this summer. My brother Grant Lee is an avid genealogist and made me an offer I couldn't refuse to paint some scenes that follow our pioneer ancestors who travelled from England, then worked their way across the plains to settle in Utah and California. As early converts to the LDS Church they suffered many hardships and persecutions as they pursued their beliefs. I have enjoyed getting to know them better by following their pioneer trail.

Grant Lee, Andrea Lee, and Roland Lee with new original paintings of places from their pioneer history.

Sullivans Purchase Lake Powell Painting

My attorney Sean Sullivan and his wife Kristin just purchased my painting, "Lake Powell Cliffs" for their home. It's their first purchase of one of my original paintings and will hopefully be a nice addition to their collection. The photo was taken at The Mission Gallery in St. George, Utah.


Click here to see a step by step demonstration of this painting

Jenkins' Purchase Zion Painting

Our good friends Kevin and Adrianne Jenkins celebrated their one-month anniversary by stopping at the Mission Gallery today and purchasing my original watercolor painting "Misty River - Zion National Park."

Studio in the Home

After maintaining a studio and gallery downtown for the past five years I decided it is time to simplify our life a little. So I've moved my painting studio back into our home in St. George. It took a little work to get rid of 20 years of office furniture and other art junk, but it feels great! I like the new digs. I'm streamlined, lean, and mean--and I can work in my pajamas til all hours of the night. Plus I really like having lunch with Nellie each day.


Here I am at work on one of a series of historical painting commissions I'll be doing this summer.

The Next Generation of Artists, and boy are they good!

Okay so I took a month off of blogging, but I wasn't slacking. Nellie and I have been on the road visiting our grandkids -- and since we've got 20 of them, that takes awhile. But oh, the talent! I took my travel watercolor sets with me and we had "painting time with Grandpa." Check the photos below and you can see there is no lack of talent in this family. It is so much fun to watch them dive in and sling paint on whatever surface is available. The only hard part was getting them to quit. Aint painting fun?











I know this looks suspicious, but it is really the best set-up ever. Emma and Ellie's mom lets them paint with chalk and water on their vinyl fence. When I asked Ellie what she was painting she said she was painting a "website." Hmmm, suppose her dad is a computer engineer?

Back from our Family History Research Trip

We just returned from about 10 days traveling in the midwest with my brother and sister as we followed the trail of our pioneer ancestors from Illinois to Utah. I kept up my travel sketchbook and planned a few paintings I will be working on this summer in my studio.


Above: Grant Lee, Andrea Lee Conley, and Roland Lee stand on the property once owned by their ancestor Francis Lee in Nauvoo, Illinois.


Above: Nellie stands in front of the elegant and finely appointed Ellis Sanders Bed and Breakfast which was our home for three days in Nauvoo. David and Diane Owen, the owners, provide a multi-course breakfast that is amazing. This house was once owned by my sister-in-law's ancestor Ellis Sanders, so our stay there had special meaning to us.

New Painting of the Historic Pine Valley Chapel

As I get ready to leave for ten days on a pioneer history trip, I was glad to renew my painting acquaintance with an old friend, the Pine Valley Chapel. I worked hard this past week to complete this commission painting of one of my favorite subjects. The pioneer town of Pine Valley lies in a cool mountain valley about 35 miles north of St. George Utah. This wonderful chapel sits majestically, yet serenely at the center of the town. It has served the townspeople well since the 1800's and is still used as an LDS meeting house to this day.

As I visited the place recently and walked around the grounds, I was amazed that the pine trees that seemed so tiny years ago had grown up to nearly hide the whitewashed walls and steeple. Nice as the evergreens are, I still liked the old view, and chose to paint this scene without them. The ancient cottonwood trees are still there though, hanging on to life. It seemed more fitting to include them in the painting. We are all getting older. Click to learn more about this painting

Large Scale Paintings of Zion Result From the Thomas Moran Paint-out

I am still overcome by the experience of painting en plein air during the week-long invitational "In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran." What a grand experience that was to let my senses soak in the grandeur of that wonderful place. After returning to the studio, while still under Zion's spell, I produced a couple of really large landscape paintings in an attempt to capture the glory of the place called "Zion."



I both sketched and painted this scene of Zion's Sentinel on location in Zion Canyon. However I really wanted to dramatize it in a big way. This was completed in my studio from my on-location studies. Click for information about this painting



Not feeling like I was capturing the scale of Zion's huge cliffs, I went even larger with this painting of sheer cliffs in the afternoon light along Taylor Creek in the Kolob Canyons section of Zion Park. It is a portrait of the sculpting that goes on daily as Zion is carved and shaped by the master sculptor. Click for more information about this painting.

Sons of Utah Pioneers

I am the President-elect of the Sons of Utah Pioneers, a service group whose mission is to honor pioneers of the past, present and future. Part of our goal is to teach the younger generation about history and instill in them a desire to be better citizens. On Friday and Saturday the SUP participated in the Washington City Cotton Festival where we had a wagon in the parade and set up a display of wagons, buggies, and pioneer relics. Dressed in pioneer garb, we spoke to school children from all of the local elementary schools. They were especially enthralled with the big red stage coach, which they were totally unfamiliar with. Some called it a fire engine, a boat, or a princess carriage.



The Sons of Utah Pioneers wagon in the parade was pulled by a beautifully restored tractor



Dean Terry of Terry's Twin Springs Ranch supplied all the wagons for the display from his personal collection. Here he lets the second grade schoolchildren try out pulling hand-made replica of a pioneer handcart.

RED ROCK RONDO DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE HELD AT ZION NATIONAL PARK

We attended the premiere viewing of the new television documentary film "Red Rock Rondo" on Saturday night at the Zion Amphitheater. The film features a contemporary folk musical group, Red Rock Rondo, as they pay tribute to the early settlers of southern Utah and Zion Canyon. It was a stunning presentation! The film airs in Utah on KUED public television May 21.



One of my artist friends, Donal Jolley is the son of the first chief ranger of Zion National Park and was one of only a few people actually born in the park. He and his wife Velma were on hand for the opening reception and premiere.


Donal Jolley (left) greets JL Crawford at the premiere. Both were born in Zion Park. Watching are Don's wife Velma, Don Falvey retired superintendent of Zion National Park, and Lyman Hafen, Executive Director of the Zion Natural History Association.

Artists Demonstrate Techniques at A New Vision Exhibit

Several of the guest artists set up their easels and demonstrated their painting techniques to the visitors at the Santa Clara New Visions show last weekend. I worked on a watercolor painting called "Light on the Peak."

Charles Dayton showed his considerable skill as he combined photos of a landscape with cowboy reference and nearly completed a small oil painting.



Keith Bond is equally adept at small paintings as he is with the murals he recently painted for the Utah State Capitol Building. He painted this ala prima scene of aspen trees while everyone watched in awe.



Annette Everett worked on a bust of a young girl, answering questions as she worked.She is an amazing sculptor, having won Best of Show at the Women Artists of America show last year with "Duet, Mary and Martha."