Rusty Rest

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase info On our last day in Zion I found this beautiful old truck on a side street in Springdale. Below are some progress shots.

Big Bend -a plein air painting from Zion National Park

oil 12x9 inches magnify/purchase info Big Bend is one of my favorite spots within Zion. I paint small outdoors to finish in 2-3 hours because of changing light. But how to capture the vastness and scale of this scene on a 12x9 inch canvas? Zoom in. I'm thinking next time a larger panel painted over a couple of days at the same time each day. I took home a decent painting and twelve bug bites on my forehead.

In roughly the same spot the day before.

Airstream Dreams -SOLD

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase info Immediately after tax season I loaded my CPA into our little motorhome and took him far from his office to Zion National Park. In the campground I met Bob who owned this beautiful '77 Airstream. For the last few years I've been on the lookout for one to paint each time we camped. I took tons of pictures with Bob's permission. When the guy in the next campsite took out his banjo, well how could I not paint it right then? So there I was, painting, surrounded by Utah mountains, the rushing Virgin River behind me, and the banjo guy playing old hymns. Almost Heaven. I'm sorry I didn't get a pic of the banjo guy! That would make a nice painting too.

Weeping Rock View -a plein air painting from Zion National Park

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase info On the second and last afternoon in Zion National Park I hiked the short distance up to Weeping Rock. My feeble attempt to describe it is this: At Weeping Rock you are on a ledge on the side of a mountain. The ledge is maybe 50ft long and 10 feet wide. The wall curves up and over your head with a curtain of water dripping off. The photo and my painting both show the view from the ledge. (If you enlarge the photo below, you can see the water droplets falling.) Spectacular atmosphere changing every ten minutes or so. Very challenging, but what a very special place to experience with my brushes in hand. For the painting, I was interested especially in the sweet spot where the mountains rise out of the valley floor so near each other. Also pictured are my four paintings for the trip laid out on my campsite table. The color represented is very accurate. It was a great trip.

Bridge At Canyon Junction -a plein air painting from Zion National Park -SOLD

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase info My second day in Zion I got out early. I hopped on the tram (or dragged myself and gear into the tram) by 8 am. Hey, that's early for me! At Canyon Junction a trail runs right along the river, giving easy river access for painting. I found the perfect spot, shown below. It was quite secluded except for the perfectly tanned "buff" guy. Is that still a word for muscular??? He hung around a bit, walking here and there nearby. A small backpack, no shoes, wearing nothing but a Speedo. Yep! Well that was a little weird. EXCITING DAYS AHEAD! Tomorrow I teach a small one day workshop in Anaheim Hills. Sunday I'll be at the BALBOA ART WALK with 100 fellow artists. If you're in SO CAL don't miss it! You can find me right along the sea wall on the island at Pearl Street. Park in the big parking lot on the Peninsula, and walk onto the ferry. Turn left off the ferry and I'm close by. It'll be a great day! Here's a pic of the guy in the Speedo.

(Just kidding!) But there really was a guy in a Speedo.

Formations -a plein air painting from Zion National Park

oil 10x8 inches magnify/purchase info I painted this the first afternoon directly from my campsite. Those rock formations are an art in themselves! The pattern of structures was a bit daunting, but I'm happy with the result. Like usual, the color is better in person. I've been doing some framing today in preparation for the Balboa Island Art Walk this coming Sunday. If you're in Southern California, I hope you'll come! One hundred artists along the sea wall. You can find me at Pearl, a left turn when stepping off the ferry onto the island.

Zion's Throne -a plein air oil painting from Zion National Park

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase Over the weekend I camped near one of my favorite spots on earth, Zion National Park. This was my fifth visit and my first time to paint there. For a painter, it's heaven. Hop on and off the free tram anywhere and choose your subject from spectacular views all around you. The changing light and weather conditions will certainly challenge you. Here you see "The Great White Throne" from River Walk Trail. It appeared violet in the distance. I had two days to paint. This is the first morning's effort. Five minutes after I finished clouds came overhead and very strong winds rushed through the canyon. The river sand flew everywhere...into my teeth and into my painting. You can see it here if you look closely. I hope I can brush it off when the paint dries.

IN OTHER NEWS: Spring Pickings is for sale at auction on Daily Paintworks. To view the auction, click HERE.