TUSCON, ZION AND BEYOND

We traveled from the breezy coast of Monterey to the desert city of Tuscon so Doug could attend the 5th Annual Plein Air Convention and Expo., sponsored by Plein Air Magazine. Fortunately, it was the middle of April and the weather was beautiful, in the high 70's. The desert was alive with colorful spring flowers and there were different varieties of cacti literally everywhere! 

As many as 900 artists of all media types attend the Plein Air Convention each year. Highly respected and internationally known artists, such as Albert Handell are invited to give demonstrations and conduct workshops. This was the first time that Doug attended this prestigious convention and he was not sure what to expect.

The agenda was packed full and the days were long, beginning at 6:30am with an artist's marketing boot camp, and ending at 9:00pm with final demonstrations. Some time each day was set aside for plein air painting at various sights around Tuscon. It was quite a sight to see 900 artists descend on a state park with their easels. There was always a rush to find the best views near a shady spot. 

ON THE ROAD TO PHOENIX (20 x 27)

CATALINA STATE PARK, TUSCON (16 x 20)

All in all, it was a wonderful and inspiring experience for Doug and he already registered for next year's convention in San Diego, CA . He met many new colleagues and learned a great deal from the demonstrations. One of the invited demonstration artists, George Gallo, happens to enjoy painting in Bucks County and wants to connect with Doug to paint there sometime. Coincidentally, he has also been a guest at Yolanda Gurries' home in beautiful Garrapata, where we stayed just the week before. In addition to his artistic talent, George is a screenwriter with over 50 scripts to his credit. He lives near Los Angeles and wants Doug to visit and paint with him there.

We were excited to go to our next destination, Zion National Park, where Doug taught another workshop. Last year, we stayed in Rockville, about 30 minutes outside of the park. This year, we booked early at a wonderful RV park surrounded by bluffs, right in the town of Springdale, which is only two minutes from the entrance to the park. Doug was able to walk out of the trailer, face any direction and find a beautiful scene to paint. 

 Doug's sister Deb and husband Mike and their dog, Baxter, joined our RV tour. We all returned to "Blondie's Diner", where we first fell in love with Buffalo Burgers. 

Coco and Baxter made great travel companions: 

The weather was unpredictable, varying between 65-70 degrees with sun and 55-60 degrees with rain showers. Rainy weather came and went each day, so we became experts at dodging the raindrops. Apparently, a cold snap had impacted the entire southwest and temperatures were colder and wetter everywhere. One morning we woke up to snow on the bluffs, a rare sight in Zion and unique painting opportunity for Doug.   

 SACRIFICIAL  MOUNTAIN (20 X 27)

The rain storms actually brought the whole canyon to life. When the sun was out, the bluffs reflected the light brilliantly, having been freshened up by the rain. Colors became more vivid and shadows more dramatic. 

Green vegetation thrived in this weather, complimenting the bluffs to complete the magestic landscape. The river flowed and churned with a dull roar, eagerly transporting the new waters  downstream.

Doug enjoyed capturing the richness and beauty:  

THE NARROWS (22 X 22)

AFTER THE RAIN (16 X 20)

CANYON MAKER ( 22 X 22)

FALLS AT THE NARROWS (20 X 27)

MORNING LIGHT ZION (16 X 20)

SUNDANCE ORCHARD (16 X 20)

TABERNACLE AT THE NARROWS (22 X 22)

NATURE'S PAINTBRUSH (16 X 20)

ZION STRATA (22 X 27)

The next destination on our journey was supposed to be near the Green River in Wyoming and then on to Rocky Mountain National Park. In light of the "cold snap", we checked upcoming weather and discovered that nights were still below freezing in those places. In fact, even Denver had about 9 inches of snow. As you may recall from our prior blog, RV water/sewer lines and freezing temperatures are not the best companions.

We decided to skip Green River and still head towards Rocky Mountain, staying further south for a couple of weeks to let it warm up a bit more. Deb and Mike were still traveling with us and all decided to go to Arches National Park (still in Utah). 

The rock formations at Arches were really extraordinary - completely different from both Zion and Sedona. Most of the formations are made of soft red sandstone deposited 150 million years ago. A salt layer underneath the overlying blanket of rock rose up over millenia, forming domes and ridges. Over time, parallel fractures in surface rock eroded to form "fins". The arches were formed as the fins were eroded completely through.  

Some looked like Egyptian statues: 

And then there was Jabba the Hut: 

Always intrigued by unique rock formations, Doug had a variety of new creations to choose from: 

WINDOW AT ARCHES NATIONAL PARK (20 X 27)

BALANCING ROCK - ARCHES NATIONAL PARK (20 X 27)

ALIEN AT ARCHES NATIONAL PARK (16 X 20)

ALIENS AMONG US - ARCHES NATIONAL PARK (16 X 20)

Weather has finally started to warm and we are heading out of the desert and into the mountains. Our first stop will be Glenwood Springs, Colorado for a week and finally, Rocky Mountain National Park. Let's hope the warm weather continues!