Artist in Residence Zion National Park

I enjoyed spending a little time today with artist Dennis Farris, who is working in Zion National Park as the Artist in Residence. He is the first artist to get to stay in the restored Grotto Museum building which now provides housing for the Artist in Residence Program. The Zion National Park Foundation (of which I am a board member) raised funds for the restoration project, so I was pretty excited to meet Dennis and see how he liked his new "digs."I have to admit I'm pretty jealous. Not too many people get to wake up each morning to the sun rising over the massive cliffs of Zion Canyon.
The Grotto building makes a wonderful studio. I watch as Dennis works on a small oil painting inside the Grotto "studio." Check out Dennis Farris' blog for day-to-day updates on his Zion Canyon experience. He is truly an amazing painter.


After leaving Dennis at the studio I hiked part way up the Observation Point Overlook Trail to get some photos. The trail was still snow-packed and iced over so it wasn't too safe, but the view across to Angel's Landing was fantastic. I did a few pencil sketches in my travel sketchbook of some of the cliff formations.

Ian Ramsay Watercolor Demonstration

Utah artist Ian Ramsay presented a watercolor painting demonstration tonight for a combined meeting of the Southern Utah Watercolor Society and the Hurricane Valley Art
Alliance. Ian's work is well-known and he just won the purchase award last week at the Sears Invitational Art Show. He will be teaching a two-day workshop Thursday and Friday in St. George.

St. George Gallery Art Walk

It was fun to meet with collectors and fellow artists who came down for the St. George Art Gallery Walk. Jane Juber, Gallery Director, hosted a nice open house at both The Mission Gallery and the Authentique Gallery. Pleasant weather greeted our out-of-town guests who combined this event with the Sears Invitational Art Show and the Kayenta Art Festival, creating a great art-filled weekend.


Artists Michael Bingham, Roland Lee, and Craig Fetzer in front of Fetzer's Impressions Gallery.


One of my favorite figurative painters, Michael Malm stands in front of his incredible new oil painting of Jesus with the children. The painting just blew me away. I am privileged to own one of his religious paintings and am always stunned by his handling of light and shadow.


My good friend Julie Rogers poses with her amazingly vibrant pastel paintings of pioneer scenes.


Landscape painter Robert Call creates rich images of the Utah landscape, using a combination of loose and tight painterly brush strokes.

Award at the Sears Invitational Art Show

I just returned from the opening gala of the 2010 Sears Invitational Art Show at Dixie State College where I was pleased to receive second place with my watercolor painting "Nature's Sculpture". The Sears show is one of the premiere art exhibits in Utah and funds raised support the College Missions as well as the Eccles Gallery on campus. Clark and Sandra Jo Benson purchased my award-winning painting for their art collection.


Nellie and Roland Lee at the 2010 Sears Invitational Art Show at Dixie State College

On the Beach in San Diego

My last few posts consisted of my hikes in the rain and snow. This past week I spent in beautiful San Diego California, and enjoyed sunshine, surf, and sand! What a contrast. I attended the Association for Partners in Public Lands Conference representing Zion Natural History Association and the Zion National Park Foundation. Board members of National Park Partner organizations joined NPS staffers and others as we met to discuss ways to keep the public lands healthy, open, and vital for future generations.

Of course people who enjoy the land can't stay indoors all the time, so we took advantage of the location to visit Cabrillo National Monument and other coastal locations. While the eastern seaboard experienced blizzard conditions, I was frolicking in the surf! What a contrast. As always I hoped to catch a distant glimpse of a whale on its migration run, but after scanning the horizon in vain, I turned my attention to the tiny creatures at my feet.


A beautiful Sea Anemone looks for a meal in the Cabrillo Tide Pools

The tide pools are teeming with tiny creatures


A short video clip of the ocean at Cabrillo National Monument

Painting the Red Rocks - February Watercolor Workshops

Workshop Students use their sketchbooks to study light and shadow on the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.

I held back to back two-day watercolor workshops February 2-5 at A Passion for Painting Art Studio. We enjoyed sketching and painting outdoors at Snow Canyon, and on the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve north of St. George, along with working in the studio. See my website for more photos of the classes.


Painting on location near Snow Canyon


I completed several quick watercolor demonstration paintings for the students in the first workshop.

Desert Waterfalls

It's been raining and snowing for the past few days and I've been anxious to get out into the desert to see the results. This morning I grabbed my sketchbook and camera and went hiking near Ivins in the red cliffs of Kayenta. I was treated to some amazing waterfalls cascading down the sheer cliffs and filling the usually dry washes. And just to add a little drama, the red rocks were dusted with white snow, also a rarity in these parts. It was cold when I left, but by mid-day the sun broke through the low clouds and provided me with a perfect day away. Ahhh, aint life grand?
Check out this little video of the falls. You only see this after a heavy rainstorm.

Winter is still with us

I don't know if its just old age, but I've never been so cold as I have in the past month. I'm ready for summer already, and Winter has barely sunk its teeth into the season. This is a photo I shot in central Utah last weekend. Cold, yes. Beautiful, you bet!

Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas card handpainted in watercolor by Roland Lee

Art Show in Highland UT

Thanks to everyone who attended the Benefit art show in Highland Friday night. It was great to see everyone and meet some new collectors. With our sales we were able to make a nice contribution to the selected charities. It looks like this might become an annual event.

Norma and Phil Maestri browse through some of the new giclee prints introduced at the show.