Kids Get to Paint at Discovery Day in Zion National Park

Artist Roland Lee let Dallin Taylor add a few brushstrokes to his plein air painting during Discovery Day. Plenty of paints and palettes were on hand for families to try out and Dallin was all grins when he got to paint on Roland's painting.

Dallin Taylor poses with Roland Lee in front of the painting he helped paint at Discovery Day in Zion National Park

Three of my favorite National Park Superintendents. Left to right: Paul Roelandt from Cedar Breaks; John Hiscock from Pipe Spring; and Jock Whitworth from Zion National Park.

Barb Graves, the education coordinator for Zion National Park with Roland Lee. Barb is responsible for implementing the Youth Education Initiative, sponsored by the Zion National Park Foundation. Funds raised by the foundation help bring youth into the national parks. 

This past week was National Park Week and visitors received free entrance to Zion National park. To celebrate, Zion Park had a wonderful "Discovery Day" with free activities aimed at kids and families. There were lots of displays and demonstrations from Zion, Cedar Breaks, and Pipe Spring National Monuments with interpretive rangers on hand to answer questions. The old time fiddlers pitched in to provide music, and the weather cooperated with plenty of sunshine. Several of the artists who will participate in the "Footsteps of Thomas Moran" plein air competition in November were on hand to demonstrate their skills. Visitors were excited to watch the painters work on location, and some of the artists even let the kids try their hand with a brush. All in all it was a fun day and great experience.

Painting Outdoors in Snow Canyon With the Dixie Watercolor Society

Roland Lee painting outdoors in Snow Canyon Utah

A small group of hearty artists braved a brisk 40-degree morning to paint outdoors in beautiful Snow Canyon State Park, near St. George Utah. We enjoy getting together once a month as members of the Dixie Watercolor Society to hone our plein air painting skills and have fun. In this case, our numbers were thin, due to a spring storm which rolled through overnight and dumped snow in the higher elevations all around us. We found a nice spot out of the wind with an excellent view of the canyon's red cliffs and went to work. I used a new Sienna brand pochade box that was given to me as a gift by my friend Mark Rose. Mounted on a sturdy tripod it proved to my liking as it easily adjusted the height to my 6'1" frame.  I customized it by adding an   Eldajon watercolor palette and collapsible water can. The Sienna paint box is available from A Passion for Painting.

The Sienna Pochade box has room for everything yet closes up into a compact box for carrying. A sturdy tripod has a a secure and speedy mounting clamp.

The Sienna pochade box set up in Snow Canyon

Painting Utah Barns in watercolor

Silver stained and weathered barnwood was the subject of our workshop

When I told my class we were going to paint a barn, I didn't mean with red paint and a roller. My latest workshop explored the nuances of weathered-wood and rusted-tin as we enjoyed painting this age-old favorite watercolor subject. We were lucky to have a couple of nice old relics nearby that survived into the modern day while civilization encroached all around them, including a bustling freeway nearby. It seemed a strange mix, as we sketched and painted the silvered wood with gaping holes, while big diesel trucks roared by us. Back in the studio later we used sketches to complete paintings with fantastic skies.

While the class sketched I did a quick watercolor painting of the old barns, while cars whistled by us on the freeway. It seemed a strange mix of the old and the new.

St. George Art Festival brings great weather and lots of collectors!

The St. George Art Festival held Easter Weekend in St. George Utah brought thousands of art collectors and hundreds of artists together. I have participated in the show since its inception back in the '80s, but it has grown to be one of the premier shows of its kind today. I displayed lots of new original paintings along with some new canvas-wrapped giclee prints that were popular among the buyers. I had several new collectors including Rod Shorey from California who had seen my work before, but purchased two nice originals for his collection. Both paintings were completed en plein air at Zion National Park. If you missed the show you can still stop by my art studio and gallery to see my current original paintings at 165 North 100 East, St. George UT. Call me if you are in town 435-673-1988.

Artist Roland Lee and collector Rod Shorey at the St. George Art Festival

St. George Art Festival Great Place to See Hundreds of Artist's Work on Display

Duane and Shauna Woodmansee purchased another painting for their collection

Last spring some wonderful collectors, Duane and Shauna Woodmansee purchased their first original watercolor from me at the St. George Art Festival. they stopped by my gallery yesterday to view my new paintings for this years festival and purchased another one for their collection. I'd like to invite everyone to stop by my double-booth at this year's St. George Art Festival Friday and Saturday March 29 and 30. It runs from 10am to 6pm both days in the fabulous St. George City Town Square. Stop by and see us. I'll have plenty of new paintings and prints on display.

How to Draw Almost Anything Workshop

Our beautiful town square provided plenty of outdoor sketching opportunities for our workshop on How to draw anything

Each year I teach one workshop on drawing. Of course drawing is fundamental to all art forms, but I  feel it is key to understanding how we see in nature. Learning to observe light and shadow with our artists brain allows us to quickly draw anything we see. This workshop included time in the studio as well as sketching outdoors in our travel sketchbooks. We explored methods for establishing value contrast quickly and describing mass and form with middle values in three simple steps. If you'd like to find out more, take one of my art workshops!

The Portland Art Museum - Some Thoughts on Fine Art

Artist Roland Lee at the Portland Art Museum

My volunteer work with the Zion Natural History Association and the Zion National Park Foundation took me to Portland Oregon this week for the annual APPL conference. While there I was able to slip away and visit some of the art sites including the Portland Art Museum. The public transportation makes it easy to get around, and the city is very friendly, so it was relatively easy to find our way to the Art Museum. They have a large collection covering many subjects and genres, with a current display of very contemporary works spanning the past century. Each trip to a museum causes me to think and re-think about what constitues fine art. While I can accept and appreciate that all art deals with human emotions, I must say that to create art that displays the worst of human behavior and flaunts the baseness of humanity is a waste of talent. Reality gives us enough of that. Most of the big museums provide their share of art pieces that are very disturbing, and the Portland was no exception. But thankfully much of the art was uplifting, especially the fine impressionist paintings -- and the display space was wonderful. In any case I always appreciate the many donors, docents, curators, volunteers, and patrons that provide places for us to enjoy art, and make our own choices.

Some of the best watercolor painters (and friends) in the world!

Our March 2013 watercolor workshop in Salt Lake City, UT

What a joy it is to rub shoulders with some of the best painters in the world. That's what it is like when I get together with other artists. Even though, I am the teacher, I learn just as much from them. Likewise, when we all display our paintings, I am more excited about theirs than I am my own. It is so great to be able to enjoy the experience of watercolor painting with others. Thanks so much to Margo Cook for organizing and producing these great workshops.

Roland Lee Painting nets $3500 for Dixie State University scholarships

Dr. Ed and Idonna Snow pose with Roland Lee and their new original painting following the scholarship auction for Dixie State University

Dr. Ed and Idonna Snow purchased a Roland Lee painting at a Dixie State University fundraising banquet Friday night raising $3500.00 for scholarships. In it's ninth year, the "Fire and Ice" banquet and auction is held to raise funds specifically for needs-based scholarships. I have donated an original painting each year for most of those 9 years.

Art for Kids at Panorama Elementary School

Oh, the energy of 60 second-graders!

How do you choose from so many hands raised? Do I look a little dazed?

Listening to the children read during recess

Do these kids look happy? Miss Ridd's class with their own boxes of art cards.

I was invited to talk to the young children at Panorama Elementary School in Washington recently. Alice Blair, an arts advocate who helps the second grade students with reading skills, invited me to share some thoughts with these "budding" artists. Lacey Ridd was the host teacher and her class was joined by two others to fill the room with over 60 eager and enthusiastic kids! I am always amazed at the depth of understanding that the kids have. They asked thoughtful and well-worded questions about my career and what they could do to become artists. I encouraged them to draw what they see and to get out and enjoy our beautiful world. After presenting a powerpoint demonstration I gave each of them a box of my art cards and encouraged them to write and draw in them. I was pretty tired afterward, and once again amazed at their energy and the ability of their teachers to keep up with them day after day.