I write this to you from the Zion Plein Air Invitational, yes, in Zion National Park. I was chosen from a nation wide application process to be one of 24 select professional artists to participate in a week long plein air painting event culminating with a wet painting sale Saturday and Sunday. Friday evening is a special invitation for a gala preview and purchase opportunity. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Zion National Park Foundation.

The weather has been fabulous. That’s very important when one is painting out of doors, right? This is only the 3rd day of painting but the outlook is good throughout the rest of the week. I give a nod of thanks for this. Painting has been great. As you know, I paint in both watercolor and oil but on this occasion, for this event, I chose to do watercolor only. This is largely because the people responsible for selecting the artists, have billed me as a watercolorist. That and I was scheduled to give a watercolor demonstration the first morning at the Human History Museum. Here’s a great article and photos that a reporter from USA Today did on me and a couple of the other demonstrators.

Zion is an amazing place for a landscape painter. The HUGE vertical red walls and incredible sandstone features of all colors impress the visual senses in all directions. Regardless of where you stand in the park, there is something of stunning visual wonder. I have had no problem finding material to paint. The biggest difficulty is probably in deciding which direction to paint. Here are a couple of samples:

Before I leave you good folks, I need to acknowledge my lodging hosts. I was graciously furnished complimentary lodging for the the entire event by the Desert Pearl Inn, in Springdale, UT right at the west gate of Zion National Park. The accommodations are very nice and they have been very helpful. AND a big thank you to the staff and organizers of the event. It has been a pleasure to be here.

I just stopped by the room to get some lunch and drop you folks a line. But now I need to get back out there in front of the easel. Daylight is wasting as they say.