Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “Plein air”
Kodachrome Basin is a State Park in Utah near Bryce National Park. I wandered on to it one time while painting in the area for the Escalante Art Festival. This southeast part of Utah is a rugged, wonderful, remote, colorful part of the country that I just love to paint. This 9×12 plein air watercolor is double matted and framed …
Solitude is a “little gem” watercolor of an old abandoned school house that sits out in the middle of no where just outside of Victor, Idaho. I first came across this place while on a painting trip to Montana. Silhouetted against a far mountain range under a broken sky, it begged to be painted. Original 6 x 9 image size watercolor Mike Simpson using …
Grand Wash was painted on location in Capitol Reef National Park in Utah one fine fall day. I like the simple shapes and the beautiful desert colors. Capitol reef is a favorite place to paint. The red rock geology offers a wealth of color opportunities and lends itself well to the watercolor medium. Proud canyon walls cast cool shadows over …
Gateway, Colorado is in the western part of the state near the Utah border. It is somewhat remote and wild, just the way I like it. John Hendricks, of the Discovery Channel, has built a magnificent facility here, along with a world class car museum that is open to the public. This painting, Gateway Palisade, done from the grounds of the …
This is a plein aire painting I did on the south rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park at the Chasm View overlook. There was a railing there to prevent the unwary from falling over the edge and I was right against the railing. In fact I was so close that I let a brush slip out …
This plein air painting of Cross Fissure view is from the south rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. I have painted for the Park for over 20 years and never get tired of the challenge of the view. The Gunnison River is far below. The geological features of the canyon are a wonder. This 8×10 oil …
An oil painting I did en plein air from the Tomichi Overlook at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. I have painted for the Park for over 20 years and never tire of the challenges of the views. The Gunnison River is far below. The views of the Black Canyon change from morning to afternoon because of the changing …
This 1/2 sheet watercolor color painting was done on location for the Escalante Art Festival in Utah a couple of years ago. It was late in the day and I had jsut come back from Spencer Flats near Escalante, Utah when the road I was on doubled back giving me this view. Fortunatley there was a wide spot in the …
Crested Butte, Colorado is a great little former Victorian mining town. It has a wonderful charm to it and the people are very friendly. It is a very popular summer tourist town as well as a popular ski town in the winter. Numerous quaint colorful Victorian style houses line the streets. As with all of these types of towns, the alleys …
This is a plein air painting I did on the Uncompahgre Plateau just west of where I live in Western Colorado. As I often do, I was camping up on the plateau over the 4th of July and caught this old lightening struck snag just as the morning sun shone through rain clouds and lit it up. The firey core …