Return to an Old Cliffrose

10" x 8" Oil on Panel

While exploring the steep slopes of the mountains by town a few years ago I found this cliffrose. Last weekend I finally scrambled back up the mountainside to paint it. It's rather large for a cliffrose, I think. From a distance it looks like a juniper, which also are common in the area, but a closer look showed it to be a cliffrose. A month or so ago I painted another cliffrose on the same mountainside. I wrote about that here.

It was a beautiful day to be out in the mountains. There were several deer in the area I hiked, as well as chukkar partridges. One chukkar came close enough as I painted to let me snap it's photo.

Chukkar

The green is starting to come out on the lower mountain slopes, lagging behind the Spring growth in the valley. Spring wildflowers are making their appearance, too.

The next photo shows my setup and where I was painting.

Pochade boxes can go anywhere!

 These photos give some idea of the view I had of town from where I painted.

There was probably time for another painting that day. There sure are plenty of subjects here. Instead I elected to scout around and become more familiar with the mountainside. It's wonderful to have a place so wild so close to town. It's an area I can sort of see just by looking up from the valley, but that's certainly not the same as being up there!

Death, Taxes, and a Navajo Woman

Today there was a statewide earthquake drill called, "The Great Utah Shakeout." An important thing to do in earthquake country. The intention is to educate and prepare people concerning what to do in a major earthquake. That way people won't just run around in aimless circles franticly waving their arms and screaming in terror - which also sort of describes how I do my taxes. Today is also tax day in the U.S. I wonder if there were any exercises today about how to file last minute tax returns during an earthquake? Brings to mind Benjamin Franklin's quote about death and taxes.

But to get to the image above, last Thursday a Navajo woman modeled for our weekly drawing session. This sketch was done in a 12" x 9" sketchbook with charcoal pencil. Hope it moves you, tax free!

For more about drawing sessions, go to "Labels" on the side bar and click on "sketching" or "drawing."

Another Session's Sketch

Charcoal on Gray Paper

Here's another sketch from a weekly drawing session a few years ago. This woman was another one of my favorite models to draw. It's a simple sketch on gray paper done with charcoal pencil and another pencil called "charcoal white," probably chalk. A kneaded eraser is also used a lot in my sketches and drawings.

For more about drawing sessions, go to "Labels" on the side bar and click on "sketching" or "drawing."

Window Box Gallery Show

A new show opens this Friday, April 6, at the Window Box Gallery in Provo, Utah. The gallery is located at 62 West Center Street. Fourteen of my plein air landscape oil paintings will be on exhibit there through the month of April. All paintings are for sale. The opening reception will be this Friday from 6 to 9 PM.

 

In conjunction with the reception is the First Friday Gallery Stroll and Art Chase. Art chase might sound like the art is running away and you have to catch it, and that would make a really cool exhibit, but it's actually a kind of "scavenger hunt". Several galleries in the Center Street - University Avenue area take part in this. It's looks like a lot of fun. As I understand it, participants pick up a card at a local "Art Chase" gallery (like Window Box Gallery), and go from gallery to gallery following clues on the card. As they find the artworks in question they get their card stamped or punched. Their completed card then goes into a drawing for prizes. I've never been an art "chaser" but this Friday one of my paintings gets to be one of the "chased"! You can call the gallery at 801-377-4367 for more details.