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.

Arches National Park: Balanced Rock

Balanced Rock

Painting No. 2-D-13

12"x 12" oil on canvas panel

 

Last Saturday morning I was in Arches National Park visiting Sarah Hamingson, the current Community Artist in the Parks pastel artist. I had intended to paint en plein air at the Balanced Rock parking lot but I forgot my mineral spirits and resorted to sketching several versions of Balanced Rock before deciding that I liked this angle the best. It's a tough subject to paint, the subject is awkward and impossibly balanced.

 

This is the usual view of the rock, which is kinda ugly to work with from an artistic perspective. The angle of my painting is at the far right side of the photo, and from the base looking up. Essentially my painting is a study of warm shadow contrasts in a typically cool environment.

 

Arches National Park; North Window

North Window

Painting No. 1-D-13

16" x 20" oil on canvas

 

About a week ago I drove into Arches National Park after a full day of rain storms and painted a small plein air sketch on location at the arch known as the North Window. Once back in the studio I reworked the composition of the Juniper trees, the small wash, and Sagebrush. At the suggestion of Tim Morse I added a couple distant clouds to draw the eye through the opening. The composition is the classic Edgar Payne "O" pattern, with the help of the Junipers for scale. 

Best Plein Air Day Ever......so far

Today was some of the best plein air painting that I've experienced since arriving in Moab. The day started at the Red Rock Bakery of course with the owner, Howard, pouring coffee and talking Utah politics with the tourists.....always worth listening in.
Next, I'm making arrangements with my friend Phil Wagner; oil painter, poet and renaissance man, to paint in Arches National Park at 10 A.M. When I finally arrive this is what I see on the side of the road (photo to the left). Phil has framed and attached make-shift wooden legs to a 32" x 40" piece of plywood, constructing a tabletop-like paint surface for his newest (and largest) plein air painting. Looking very-much like a giant robot spider, I'm waiting for it to start walking around at anytime now.
Phil paints a bright base coat of yellow paint which immediately gets the visitors attention and the cars start pulling over.

This is exactly why I love working with Phil; he is always experimenting with something new. He is either studying dead painters, fiddling with art chemicals or stretching the limits of whats possibly in the field.

I setup my small plein air kit close to him, it looks like a pack of cigarettes next to his rig. During the day we stop and talk to the park visitors, honestly, we posed for probably 10 photos and were captured many more times by the folks in cars who were too busy to talk.
We paint until 3 P.M. at which time Robin Straub, Phil's wife and another great plein air painter arrives to load the contraption into her 4-Runner.
Afterwards I drove out to Wolfe Ranch and hiked to the Delicate Arch Overlook. It's a short hike with the addition of a slickrock rim that rises to the east and adds an additional 1/4 mile to a point that most visitors wont ever see. I stayed on the rocks for probably another 2 hours.
It was warm and peaceful, nearly poetic in-nature.
I saw the first lizard of the year.
I saw Indian Paintbrush blooming.
I took the time to talk to some friendly looking cactus,
and I watched as silent forms of tiny people raced back and forth under the Delicate Arch, so far away that I couldn't hear their chattering.........something of Ed Abbey in all of this.

Balancing Act

Balancing Act
Painting No. 1-C-13
8" x 8" oil on canvas panel

My days are busy lately, which is a good thing.
Now that spring is upon us here in Moab, every artist in town is wanting to go outside and paint.
Yesterday it was Phil Wagner and Robin Straut, (Robins' work is currently on display at the Red Rock Bakery). The painting, "Balancing Act" was yesterdays' effort as we painted under the shadow of Ham Rock at Arches National Park. Today I painted with Tony Lema, business owner and oil painter, at the formation known as "Parade of Elephants", also inside Arches N.P. The conditions were pleasant with beautiful sunny skies, no wind and only a few tourists. One young man photographed me while I painted, others pull up in their car and watch for a few seconds before going on. I actually like painting near the tourists, it makes me work harder to produce a quality product. Perhaps I go a little beyond what I would settle for if no one was watching.

Tony Lema working on his plein air oil painting at Parade of Elephants.

The Perfect Day in Moab Utah

How do you describe a near perfect day in Moab, Utah?
Here's how....

• 7:30 am - Go to the gym and run for 30 minutes on the treadmill. I usually run for 40 minutes but I was afraid of being late for breakfast. On the IPod? Everclear. 
• 9:00 am - Meet a friend at the Rock Rock Bakery and Internet Cafe for coffee and bagels. As you know this is my favorite morning hangout location; it's always a cozy and relaxing atmosphere.
• 11:00am - Drive to Arches National Park with my breakfast friend and slowly drive through the park, stopping at the Garden of Eden. Hike up to North Arch, South Arch and Turret Arch. It was windy today but still a pleasant time with only a few tourists.
• 1:00pm - Lunch at Fiesta Mexicana with my breakfast friend. This is a great restaurant; the service is quick, the food great and the prices are very reasonable.
• 2:30pm - Back to Arches NP to paint en plein air (painting outdoors) with 2 of my new local friends Phil Wagner and Robin Struab. We painted for nearly 3 hours at Ham Rock, which is just southeast of balanced Rock. It was windy and cool, but we had a great time of being in close proximity to one another.
• 5:30pm - At Phil and Robin's place for wine and a serious discussion of art topics.
• 8:00pm - Home for dinner and blogging.

Moab plein air painters Phil Wagner and Robin Struab working

through the afternoon at Ham Rock in Arches National Park.

 

Three Gossips in Winter

The Afternoon Gossips

Painting No. 8-B-13

8"x 8" oil on canvas panel

 

On Monday, the afternoon skies over the Canyonlands cleared and Phil Wagner, a local painter-poet, and I decided to paint in Arches National Park. With it's majestic rock formations and the La Sal Mountains as a backdrop this is one of the most scenic places in America.
The air was cool but clear as we pulled into the parking area across from what's known as The Three Gossips. The statuesque sandstone formation is iconic to this National Park and is featured in the movie: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
The name suggests 3 prominent gossips but my eye always sees the forth as she leans into the ear of the central figure, (which makes the news just a little juicier).

We had almost no company today; a few people from Boise and a couple from Texas. The great thing about painting in the National Parks is that people are friendly. They are excited to be on vacation, awed by the size and beauty of the place and always curious to see an artist at work. Last October I posed for 100 or more photos while I was painting in the Parks.

Phil Wagner painting plein air near the Three Gossips.

Winter Light

Winter Light
Painting No. 2-K-12
12"x12" oil on canvas

I spent Thanksgiving in Moab, Utah.
It's an interesting town with a population of about 5,000 people. Small and remote but full of life; it's surrounded by 2 National Parks, 1 State Park and a massive County Park. Combine that with nearly one million visitors per year and you have a very interesting mix of culture and activity.

For those of you who haven't heard, I'm moving to Moab in mid-January. I've made arrangements to work and paint with the artist Tim Morse at the Overlook Gallery on Center Street in the downtown district. This will be a great opportunity to paint full-time, share the responsibilities for the galleries success and be in a new and fresh environment. I would also like to thank the award winning pastel artist Sarah Hamingson for pointing out some really great places to paint that the tourists aren't aware of.
2013 is going to be a great year of growing, learning and experiencing new and fresh ideas.

Time Travelers

Time Travelers
Painting No. 2-J-12
12" x 12"
oil on canvas board

This is an afternoon plein air painting of the Double Arches in Arches National Park outside of Moab, Utah.
I love this location, so extreme in rock formation and sculpture. The whole region is full of ancient history, from the rock formations to the petroglyphs; it's like stepping through time, so I decided on the title "Time Travelers" and I included some small figures to give an idea of scale to the painting.