Thursday, November 13, 2014

Roland Lee Wins People's Choice Award at Zion National Park Plein Air Art Show


My wife, Nellie, shows off the certificate I won  for People's Choice at the Zion National Park Plein Air event
I was pleased to win the "People's Choice" award at the Zion National Park Plein Air Festival this year. What made it really cool is it also came with a $250 check. Yippee!

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Zion National Park Plein Air Art Show Proves to be Most Successful Event Yet

Roland Lee plein air Painting of "Patriarch Falls at "Court of the Patriarchs" in Zion National Park
"Patriarch Falls" plein air painting at Zion National Park by Roland Lee
Huge crowds turned out to enjoy beautiful fall weather in the canyons at the Zion National Park Plein Air Art event last week. The 24 invited artists painted from dawn to dusk, did live demonstrations, and participated in "Quick finish" paintouts all week long. The week concluded with a "wet paint" sale of framed finished paintings in the Zion Nature Center. I was fortunate to sell most of my plein air paintings completed during the week, as well as four studio paintings exhibited concurrently at the Zion Human History Museum Art Show. Wow, it was exhausting but fun for the artists and the collectors.
Some people call this work! Painting in Pine Creek.
I had over 100 people show up for my watercolor painting demonstration on Tuesday afternoon. The demonstration painting was sold later at a silent auction event.

Over 100 people watched as I painted this painting. Each artist had about an hour to complete a painting, so it was pretty intense. It was purchased by Pam Frazier
Roland Lee works on his demonstration painting at the Zion Plein Air Festival
About 120 people watched at the Zion Human History Museum as artist roland Lee did a demonstration plein air watercolor painting
I am grateful to the many collectors who chose to purchase paintings during the week. 40% of all the sales went directly to the Zion National Park Foundation Youth Initiative Program which helps bring disadvantaged kids into the park. Several school groups were in the park during the week to watch the demos and experience the beauty of the land.

Former Zion National Park Superintendent Jock Whitworth has been a huge supporter of the event and has purchased many paintings
John Colosimo from Houston purchase my Saturday "Quick  Finish" painting
The Uhlingers from Monterey have attended the show for several years and again purchased one of my paintings

Jamie Coughtry from Ls Vegas purchased "Late in the Day" a plein air piece

Stanley Mogelson and Patti Riley from Florida purchased a painting of Court of the Patriarchs

Author Pam Frazier and her husband John from Sedona Arizona bought my demonstration painting "Somebody's Watching"


Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Zion National Park Plein Air Invitational Starts This Weekend

Roland Lee paints in Kolob Fingers area during Zion National Park Plein Air Art Invitational
The annual Zion National Park Plein Air Invitational Art Show kicks off this weekend. 24 artists are invited to paint outdoors in Zion National Park for a full week and participate in demonstrations and wet-paint sales. Check out the schedule of events. This is one of the biggest and most activity-filled plein air events in the nation, and of course, the scenery is unrivaled! I will do a live painting demonstration on Tuesday at the Zion Human History Museum, while other artists will demonstrate daily at different times. Plan to visit Zion during the week and find the artists working at different locations throughout the park. Or stop by on Saturday to see all 24 artists painting outdoors at the Zion Lodge, and bid on their paintings. All completed work will be framed and for sale at a wet-paint sale open to the public on Saturday November 8 at the Zion Nature Center.

Plein Air Painting at Fibonacci's new Main Street Gallery Opening

Roland Lee plein air paints historic Judd's Store during Saturday paint out at opening of Fibonacci's Main Street Gallery in St. George. Jason Bowen and Steve McGinty also painted nearby. 
It was great to join with fellow artists Steve McGinty and Jason Bowen for a day of outdoor painting as part of our Three-man Show at Fibonacci's new Main Street Gallery in St. George, Utah. All three of us set up around the corner from the gallery on Tabernacle street, and chose different locations to paint. I parked my faithful art camper across the street from Judd's Store where I could stand in its shade while I painted. Later that day the plein air paintings were available at a silent auction. Thanks to Wade Wixom for organizing the event and taking this cool photo.

Fibonacci's Main Street Gallery is located in the beautifully restored Main Street Theater and Ballroom building in historic St. George Utah
Plein Air painting of historic Judd's Store in downtown St. George, UT.


Monday, October 20, 2014

New Fibonacci Main Street Gallery Celebrates Opening with Three Man Show This Weekend

I am proud to have been invited to be part of a three-man show this weekend at the newly opened Fibonacci Main Street Gallery in St. George Utah. The show kicks off the evening of Friday October 24 with a reception for artists Roland Lee, Steve McGinty, and Jason Bowen. Each artist will have about ten paintings on display. The artists will also be on hand all day Saturday October 25 to visit with collectors and work on demonstration paintings. There will be a silent auction Saturday from 5 to 8pm.  The Main Street Gallery is located at 35 North Main, St. George, UT 84770.