Headed to Tucson, Arizona for the  Plein Air Convention 2016. Billed as the world’s largest gathering of outdoor painters, the convention has been past held in Monterey, CA. This year it was moved to Tucson. Closer for me. Thanks. Something over 850 painters and nearly 100 faculty and staff will swarm over the area for 5 days painting. Speakers and demonstrations will be held with lots of vendors. Typical convention type stuff. I’ve got several acquaintances teaching and giving presentations. I’m going to see what it’s all about. Besides, it’ll be nice to get away for a few days and get some painting done. I’m told the desert cactus are in bloom and maybe some wild flowers but it might be too late for them.

A Parting shot of my outfit with the San Juans in the background.

As I headed out of the mountains and onto the Ute Reservation south of Cortez, the landscape changes dramatically. It’s not bad, just different. High desert country with mesas and buttes.

This is the iconic “Shiprock” formation just outside of Shiprock, New Mexico.

I’m in Holbrook, Arizona at the KOA tonight. Nothing too scenic here. Just a gravel lot with lots of other campers lined up. Neighbors are pretty close. Nice light in the evening sky but nothing to paint beneath it.

A couple of years ago I took a motorcycle tour around the  four corners region and spent the night at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook. I have a painting in the studio commemorating that.

The Wigwam Motel is an iconic piece of Route 66 history. Concrete teepees. There were originally seven of the wigwam motels stretching from Cave City, Kentucky to San Bernardino, CA. Only three remain today.The builder, Mr. Lewis, bought the plans and rights for the name to use in Holbrook. He installed dime coin operated radios in each wigwam. The coins collected were sent to the original architect as a “franchise” payment. When we stayed there, Mr. Lewis’ daughters, now in her eighties, comes in at 3 PM each afternoon to register guests until 6PM. Drop the key in the box in the morning when you leave. Thank you.

Holbrook is not much of a place now a days since the interstate rushes traffic by at a pretty fast pace but back in the day it was a wild and lawless cowtown, with the famous Hashknife Outfit Cattle Company nearby. Before that is was the Pueblo, Navajo and Apache Indians. In fact Coronado camped nearby when he was wandering around looking for the Lost 7 Cities of Gold, or what ever it was he was searching for. He did find the nearby Painted Desert and Petrified Forrest though which President Roosevelt declared a National Monument in 1907.

Maybe eight years ago I spent some time down around Tucson and south to Tubac, near the border. I had a plein air art show I participated in at Tubac which is pretty neat little art community. Dusty, dirt streets and lots of studios and galleries. Not very big, about like Ouray I suppose. Don’t know if I’ll make it down there this trip. Maybe.

So the plan is to try and post the paintings I get done each day that I paint. If all goes well I’ll do a little video clip also.