New Paintings for the Phippen Museum "River Flows" Show

I am so excited to be a part of a very special art exhibit coming up October 1 through February 6. The Show is called "River Flows - Watercolors of the American West" at the Phippen Museum in Prescott Arizona. The show includes paintings by artists who are featured in the new collector art book of the same name. Here are a couple of paintings that will be in the show. Click for more information.

Roland Lee painting "The River Flows" Exhibit

Roland Lee painting "The River Flows" Exhibit

Roland Lee painting "The River Flows" Exhibit

Roland Lee painting "The River Flows" Exhibit

Roland Lee painting "The River Flows" Exhibit

Roland Lee painting "The River Flows" Exhibit

"Call of the Canyon - Zion National Park" PBS Utah Documentary Features Roland Lee

 A wonderful film crew from PBS Utah spent the last two days filming me at my cabin at East Zion, and plein air painting in Zion National Park for a new documentary "Call of the Canyon - Zion National Park". The documentary will address how artists respond to the National Park. Watch for the documentary on tv at a future date.

Roland Lee paints in Zion National Park while being filmed for a new documentary by PBS Utah

Roland Lee painting en plein air in Zion National Park

Roland Lee being interviewed by PBS Utah for Zion Park documentary

Plein Air Camping in the Art Assault Vehicle, 1988 Toyota Pickup

I drove out to Warner Valley, a beautiful desert near my home and did some sketching. Sometimes I just love to get out and travel the cow trails for awhile. On this trip I decided to stay out there overnight in my art assault vehicle (1988 Toyota pickup with 1992 Six Pac Camper.) On this trip I visited the Fort Pearce ruins and searched out some wonderful dinosaur tracks. The evening was gorgeous and the night stars were wonderful. You can see from the photos how magnificent our scenery is around St. George UT.

Beautiful Warner Valley Sunset

1988 Toyota pickup with 1992 Six Pac Camper at Fort Pearce

Dinosaur track in Warner Valley

Exploring Warner Valley in my 1988 Toyota pickup "Art Assault Vehicle"

Buying art at the DSU Student/Faculty show

 Nellie and I visited the Dixie State University student/faculty art show tonight. We always enjoy supporting our young artists. We purchased a wonderful pot to add to our big collection.

Nellie and Roland at the DSU art show.

Zion Painting Purchased

M. Cook with Roland Lee painting of Zion

Thank you to Margo Cook, a valued art collector and friend who purchased "Daydreams at Emerald Falls", one of my newest paintings. She is an amazing watercolor painter and dear friend

First Place Award Received from Utah Watercolor Society

Roland Lee with Award-winning Small Painting From UWS Exhibit 

 I was excited to receive a First Place Award for one of my painting entries in the Utah Watercolor Society 2021 Small Paintings Show. The painting "On Its Last Leg" featured an old Utah barn.

Mark Gamett Buys Roland Lee Painting

 One of my dear friends, and an amazing painter dropped by my studio with his wife and purchase a few of my original paintings recently. He also decided to buy the painting "As I See It" which was my demonstration painting for the 2021 Utah Plein Air presentation. I am so thankful for such good friends as Mark.

Mark Gamett with Roland Lee Painting

Display Ladder for Native American Rugs

I am grateful to my friend Lee Wright who hand-built this ladder to display my Native American blankets and rugs. He surprised me with this nice gift, which now graces the walls of my studio in downtown St. George, Utah.

Lee Wright with ladder display for Navajo rugs

Bracken's Purchase Paintings

 I am grateful to the Bracken's for purchasing three of my original paintings this week. It is such a joy to have my paintings grace the walls of so many wonderful collectors.

Painting Sells at Sears Invitational Exhibit

 The 34th annual Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show is going on now with hundreds of art pieces on display. I am happy that both of the paintings I have on display won ribbons, and my painting, "Creekside Stillness" was sold on opening night to one of my good collectors Betsy McChesney.

Roland Lee with "Creekside Stillness."

Roland Lee with "Sentinel Shadows"

34th annual Sears Invitational Art Show

 I have two large paintings on exhibit at the 34th annual Sears Invitational Art Exhibition February 13 through April 3, 2021. 

"Creekside Stillness" 21 x 29

Zion National Park" Sentinel Shadows" 21 x 29

First Place Award at Utah Watercolor Society Small Paintings Show

"On Its Last Leg" 4 x 6 watercolor by Roland Lee

I was honored to receive First Place at the Utah Watercolor Society Small Paintings Show for my little painting of a rustic Utah Barn. Called "On Its Last Leg" the old barn has seen both good days and bad days but is still standing. That's pretty much the way I feel. Also exhibited was "Palm Shadow" Seville Spain.

"Palm Shadow" Seville Spain 4x 6 Watercolor by Roland Lee

Plein Air Utah Live!

 Join us January 21-23 for three days and nights of solid painting demonstrations and art instruction. Plein Air Utah Live will feature some 25 artists giving live demonstrations and interacting with students online--and YOU can be a part of it without leaving your home. I will be doing a watercolor demonstration on Friday January 22 at 3:30pm. See the whole schedule here, and sign up now!

Thanks to Collector David Johnson

Roland Lee and David Johnson with his new painting "Life in Liberty"

I'd like to thank my good friend and art collector David Johnson. David has amassed a huge home art collection containing many of the best artists of our time. I enjoy his visits to my art gallery where we discuss our common addiction to collecting art, by sharing our newest purchases. His collection is much larger than mine and we keep saying we've got to quit. But recently he decided he had to have my new painting "Life in Liberty." That painting is now in his collection, but in the process I was able to pick up a little painting from his collection by the well-known deceased Utah artist Leconte Stewart. That's what friends are for, right?

"Life in Liberty" Watercolor by Roland Lee

Roland Lee Interview video - Art in the Time of Covid

 I was honored to be interviewed in my studio by the Zion Forever Project during their "Art in the Time of Covid" art presentation and fundraiser for Zion National Park. You can watch the 8 minute video here.

Roland Lee Painting Featured in American Watercolor Weekly

 My painting of Zion National Park, "Sentinel Shadows" was featured in the American Watercolor Weekly online newsletter this past week in a feature called "Mountain Majesty."

Art in the Time of covid - Paintings at Zion National Park

Art in the time of Covid. Six artists have been invited to participate in Zion National Park's special invitational art exhibit. You can see the paintings here. My painting "Essence of Zion" is used as the cover poster.

Just Released "The River Flows - Artists of the American West"

I am so excited to have my paintings included with such notable artists as Dean Mitchell and others in this new coffee table book. Available in both hardbound, and special "clam shell" collectors editions, this gorgeous book traces the history of artist who worked in watercolor to portray the western landscape and people. Compiled by Don Weller and Marlin Rotach, the book is a magnificent addition to the art libraries, and I am deeply honored to have my paintings included.

New Painting Accepted in 52nd Annual Watercolor West International Juried Exhibit

I was notified that my painting "Moroccan Musician," painted after a trip to Spain and Marocco, was juried into the 2020 52nd annual Watercolor West International Juried Exhibition. This is the second straight year one of my paintings has been juried into this  elite show. It will be on display at the Brea Gallery in California from September through December 2020. The juror was noted watercolorist Iain Stewart.

Roland Lee Painting Featured in "Plein Air Collector" Newsletter

I was pleased to have my painting, "Long Term Parking" selected to illustrate the article "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" in the July 2020 issue of "Plein Air Collector" and "Outdoor Painter" online newsletters. The painting features an old Ford car parked forever next to an even older barn in northern Utah. We discovered the old relic while painting during the Plein Air Utah event in 2019.

"Long Term Parking" watercolor by Roland Lee

Foy family adds to their art collection

I appreciate all my collectors, especially during the Coronavirus restriction period, which limited visitors to my gallery. Many of them have come through for me and purchased paintings for their collections. I'm grateful for my good friend Garrick Foy and his wife for adding one of my paintings to his collection, "Zion's Last Light" a 21 x 29 watercolor of Zion National Park.

Painting Appears in Plein Air Magazine online edition

An article in Plein Air Magazine called "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" took a look at a number of paintings by plein air painters in the June-July 2020 issue. I was surprised and delighted to find my painting "Long Term Parking" included in the online additional content as well as in the weekly online newsletter American Watercolor Weekly.

American Watercolor Weekly Features Roland Lee Painting

American Watercolor Weekly features Roland Lee watercolor painting

I was happy that editor Kelly Kane selected one of my paintings for inclusion in an article in the online American Watercolor Weekly June 2020. The article is titled "Inspired by Trains and Automobiles." My painting, "Long Term Parking" was inspired by a visit to an old farm during the 2019 Plein Air Utah event in Midway Utah.

Long Term Parking by Roland Lee was featured in American Watercolor Weekly June 2, 2020 issue

Painting in Plein Air Magazine June 2020

"Morning Reflections" by Roland Lee appears in June issue "Plein Air Magazine"

My painting "Morning Reflections" is part of a special Watercolor section of the June-July 2020 Plein Air Magazine. 

Plein Air Magazine special section on watercolors

Three Paintings in Utah Watercolor Society 2020 Spring Open Exhibit

"Anyone for Hoops" was selected for the UWS Spring Open Exhibition

I was pleased to have three paintings selected by juror David Smith for the Spring 2020 UWS Open Exhibition. Because of the Coronavirus the show will be exhibited online only from June 1 to August 31.  My Paintings, "Anyone for Hoops" "Long Term Parking" and "Shopping in the Casbah" are in the exhibit.

Coronavirus Doesn't Shut Down Painting!

I was able to sell more than 20 paintings online during the Covid-19 shut down.

I had to shut down my art gallery for most of March and April to comply with national and state precautions due to the Coronavirus. So I just moved my painting studio to my home and went to work. Turns out my painting production actually went up. So with all my new paintings I side-stepped the shutdown by having a couple of online sales for my media followers and previous collectors. They came through and we had a sell-out, which got me through the shut-down in better shape than most businesses. Thanks to everyone who support me.

Some of the paintings completed during the Covid-19 pandemic

Plein Air During the Coronavirus Shut-down

My kind of social distancing - Roland Lee plein air painting

Painting in the southern Utah desert

My trusty art assault vehicle (1988 Toyota Pickup with Six Pack Camper)

We weathered the Coronavirus shut down by moving my painting gear to my home and working there for awhile. I actually got quite a lot of painting done during that time, but got restless and ventured out in my art assault vehicle and did quite a bit of painting out in the desert. My idea of social distancing.