 |
| Lower Calf Creek Falls A great painting spot, but a bit of a hike in! |
In less than two weeks, I'll be heading up to Utah for the Escalante Canyon Arts Festival. This multi-day, multi-venue event has a plein air painting component, and after missing it for years, I'm excited that I finally have time to participate.
The town of Escalante sits at the north edge of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. If you haven't been to this part of the Southwest, you should visit—it offers an incredibly rich and varied territory for the outdoor painter. Recently, I've hiked portions of this 3000-square-mile park and, many years ago, I painted there on one of our cross-country trips. (Whether to hike or paint is always a struggle for me.) The festival gives painters a broad range of three counties, which includes not just this park but also Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks as well as Kodachrome Basin State Park. Although the painting event is only a week, I could probably paint (and hike) there and nowhere else for the rest of my life.
The event runs from September 12-25, 2022. Stamping of canvases starts Friday, September 16, followed by painting on-location. (Because of my travel schedule, I will start painting on Monday.) Finished paintings are due on Wednesday, September 21, with judging on Thursday, September 22. The exhibit and sale happens Friday and Saturday, September 23 and 24. There's also a Quick Draw on Friday, and I'll be there. For full details, visit https://escalantecanyonsartfestival.org/
There's no list of artists, and the organizers tell me there won't be one. So, if you are a painter—or just a visitor—planning to be there, let me know!
Here are a few more photos from my very first trip to Escalante in 2010. You'll see some snow in these; I'm hoping not to see snow there in September.
 |
| Me, painting in Escalante. It looks staged, but it's not. |
 |
| Bryce Canyon NP |
 |
| Kodachrome Basin SP |
 |
| Grand Staircase-Escalante NM |
