Spirit Cave

Spirit Cave

Painting No. 1-F-13

8"x 8" oil on canvas

A few weeks ago a local painter, Tony Lema, took me south of Moab about 40 miles to the Needles overlook road where we painted in the back country for a few hours. Since then I've gone back 3 times including today.
As the late afternoon sun pushed across the western sky I noticed this cave as I drove through a meadow and up a canyon towards an old cow camp. There's something particular about this place; I had the feeling of being watched as I painted. Afterwards I hiked a few side canyons looking for petroglyphs but didn't spot any.

Spring Color: Indian Paintbrush

Spring Color

Painting No. 7-E-12

9"x 12" oil on canvas panel

The recent Spring rains have left the hillsides full of wildflowers. My favorite is the Indian Paintbrush. I love the vibrancy of the color and the way it grows in small colonies, almost like bouquets in the desert.

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Sun Glow

Painting No. 3-E-13

8"x 8" oil on canvas panel

 

As some of you know I'm painting full time in Moab, Utah. The good news is that the paintings are selling and requests are coming for subject matter. So I headed up the Colorado River and painted in the shade of the Navajo stone walls during the mid-day sun. This little painting took about an hour and felt really good. This is the light quality that can be captured when a painter takes the time to go outside to paint in the field. The plein air technique of painting from direct observation is the only real way to become a better landscape painter. I've completed approximately 400 outdoor paintings and I'm looking forward to the next 1,000.