Salt Lake City Artist Group Comes to St. George Painting Workshop

Instead of traveling to Salt Lake City to present a watercolor workshop, I had a special group of artists come from Salt Lake to St. George this week. We enjoyed to two days together hashing through the principles of art and learning to see in nature. What as outstanding bunch of artists with really good questions! These wonderful artists get together once a week to paint and it shows in their work. Their eagerness to learn was only matched by their ability to pick up new concepts quickly. We spent most of the time in the studio at A Passion for Painting, but we slipped away for some close-up observation and sketching up in the Red Hills Desert Reserve. Artists included: Virginia Pearce, Heidi Vriens, Laurel Finlinson, Antje Evans, Christena Gates, Joan Reynolds, Dixie Stoddard, Jan Zwick, and Margo Cook.

New Visions Art Show Held at Santa Clara Town Hall

We enjoyed two days at the Santa Clara Town Hall for the third annual New Visions Art Show. All the artists were present for a terrific indoor show and sale, plus an outdoor "quick draw" event on Saturday. Each artist had all day to paint and at the conclusion a silent auction was held for the completed and framed pieces. The bidding was fast and furious as the show wound down to the final seconds.

Larry and Rebecca Isakson won the bid for my painting of a desert scene, as well as several other paintings.

You've heard of a "Quick Draw" -- Come see a "Slow Draw" on Saturday

Roland Lee art exibit at the 2009 New Visions Art Exhibit held at the Santa Clara Town Hall

Plan to stop by the "New Visions" art show at the Santa Clara Town Hall this Friday and Saturday May 14 - 15. I will be joining a number of other artists represented by Jane Juber's Mission Gallery and Authentique Gallery with new paintings and my new suite of LDS Historical giclee prints. The show runs Friday from 1 - 7pm and Saturday 10am - 4pm.

A highlight of the show will be a Saturday "Quick Draw" where all the artist will paint on the spot during the day followed by a silent auction of the framed paintings at 3:30pm. Since we're being given 5 hours to do the paintings, I'm calling it a "Slow Draw." It might be a great chance to pick up a nice original at a great price, and get to see it painted before your eyes!

A portion of all sales will benefit the Sant Clara mural project. The event is at the Santa Clara Town Hall, 2603 Santa Clara Drive, Santa Clara. Call Kathleen V. Nielson at 229-8310 or Jane Juber at 313-5008 for more information.
Roland Lee painting completed during the 2009 New Visions art show

Plein Air Workshop in Zion and Grafton Ghost Town

Mark Rose finds a shady spot with a great view

The Hurricane Valley Art Alliance invited me to teach a two-day watercolor painting workshop in Zion National Park and Grafton Ghost Town last week. Our group was small, which made us very mobile. We spent the first morning indoors where I used powerpoint to help us learn what to look for when we got outdoors. That afternoon was spent in the wonderful ghost town of Grafton which is near Rockville. The old school house has been in many movies including "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." While we were sketching tourists would look over our shoulders in amazement. The next day we travelled to Zion National Park where we enjoyed painting along the Virgin River near the Zion Lodge. It was a perfect day.

Brienne Brown sets up her easel overlooking the Grafton Ghost town with Mount Kinesava looming behing her.


Mark Rose, Barbara Withelder, and Carol Larson relax by the Virgin River.

More miles and more Desert Blossoms

My evening hikes are getting longer and longer and the view is getting better and better. Here are a couple of photos from the T-Bone Mesa trail above St. George.

A workshop with master watercolorist Osral Allred

There are jillions of artists who paint in watercolor, but there are only a handful who can really be called "watercolorists." Osral Allred, from Spring City Utah is one of them. The Southern Utah Watercolor Society brought him down for a two-day workshop this week and we enjoyed his wisdom, humor, and skill. Os is one of the first watercolorists who influenced me and I still think he is one of the best painters in the medium. His sense of design and use of white space are key elements in his work which often features old tractors and train cars. He was taught by another master, Gael Lindstrom, and in turn taught for many years in the art department of Snow College.

Desert Blossoms

I've been walking in the desert each evening before sundown, soaking in the peace and serenity of the land. The frequent rains have made the desert blossom. Every inch of sand is covered with tiny yellow flowers and the cactus blooms are starting their show. What a joy to live in this beautiful land!

Hike in Snow Canyon

The sun finally came out with a vengeance, so I decided to hit the trails. On Saturday I did a little exploring in Snow Canyon, and soon discovered half the planet had the same idea. The parking areas were full, but once out on the trails it wasn't too bad. I ambled up the Whiterock, Butterfly, and Hidden Pinion Trails stopping to photograph the wildflowers and do a little sketching. I came back with a sunburned neck, sand in my shoes, and a happy smile.

This long snake greeted my arrival to Snow Canyon. He didn't seem too concerned about me, and since he didn't have a rattle, I wasn't worried about him either.


A Yellow carpet of wildflowers covered the sand beneath the red cliffs.

Left: A quick study of "the Knuckles" on the West side of Snow Canyon. Below: Carrie, this sketch is for you. When you draw yuccas, pay attention to the light areas against the dark leaves. This is what gives them the characteristic look. Don't make them look like pin cushions.

Art Presentation at Desert Hills High School

It seems like I'm making the rounds of the high schools lately. Today art teacher Mary Kerksiek invited me to stop by Desert Hills High School during lunch and talk about my artwork to a specially selected group of students. Chosen based on academic skills and leadership, these students participate in varied activities that broaden their education and expand their thinking. They are studying about "Rock Star Artists of the Red Rocks" in preparation to their hitting the rocks with sketchbook journals of their own next month. I showed a short powerpoint about my techniques of sketching in the field, and how I get my inspiration from the landscape. I passed around a couple of my sketchbooks and fielded questions about my career as an artist. I was very impressed by the program, the leaders, the students, and the school facilities at the new Desert Hills High School.

The Southern Utah Landscape Paintings of Jimmie Jones

A new exhibit opened tonight at the St. George Art Museum, featuring the stunning paintings of Jimmie Jones, as well as paintings by Margaret LaFranc and a unique installation called "Upside Down." Deborah Reeder and her staff at the museum put together another outstanding exhibit. As a landscape painter, I am always drawn to good landscapes, but Jim Jones is in a league by himself. Painting from his hand-built studio, high on a rocky ridge near Zion National Park, Jones has spent a lifetime putting his own stamp on images of the southern Utah terrain. This show contains many new pieces created especially for Southern Utah University's new art museum, along with numerous paintings from private collections. Filling the upstairs exhibit space, these landscapes literally take your breath away. Bigger-than-life images of the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park literally suck you in as sunlight and shadow dance magically across the canvases. Jimmie passed away in late 2009 leaving a legacy of over 400 paintings of Zion National Park and 150 of the Grand Canyon.

I had a chance to visit artist Jimmie Jones' home recently located high above the town of Rockville. The view from his multiple balconies is unbelievable. At his death, he willed the home to Southern Utah University in support of their new art museum.