Wasatch Plein Air Paradise 2013

12" x 16" Oil on Panel

The Midway plein air painting competition is in full swing. The paintings exhibit and sale begins on July 1st and runs through the 4th. It's nice to paint up in Heber Valley, where the temperature runs 10 to 12 degrees cooler than Utah Valley - where temperatures lately have been in the triple digits. My schedule allows me only to do a couple paintings in the main competition, but I'll miss the paint outs that take place during the exhibit.

The painting shown at the top of this post was painted yesterday (Saturday) near Midway. It was so nice to be outdoors on a warm summer day listening to nighthawks as I painted. Storms bubbled up over the mountains but seemed to stay away from where I was. Near the end of my painting a storm came close, bringing a welcome breeze.

11" x 14" Oil on Panel

The next painting shown here was actually made Friday. I set up next to the river where fly fishermen were having a great time catching trout. Apparently anglers from all over the country come to fish here. There was a mayfly hatch on which was great for the anglers, but I kept having to pick mayflys out of my paint.

These two paintings will be in the main competition exhibit. Even though I've painted both scenes before it's always interesting to see how the same landscape charges from one painting to the next. For more information about the Wasatch Plein Air Paradise, click the link.