Sedona Retreat Report!

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**Authentically Human! Not Written by AI**

Just got back from my annual Sedona painting retreat for experienced plein air painters.  Here's a report over on my Substack.

Painters on Wheels: Lyman Lake State Park, Arizona

5x8 gouache on 300 gsm cold-press paper

In my last post, I told the story of getting our PleasureWay, touted the benefits of painting by RV, and mentioned our first trip, to Lyman Lake State Park in Arizona.  In this post, I thought I'd share some of the sketches I made on that trip.

We'd last been to Lyman Lake maybe 20 years ago.  I scarcely remembered anything about it when M.L. Coleman, posing it as a possible painting destination, asked if I'd ever been there.  All I could remember was flatness—the lake is a manmade reservoir used for irrigation—but that there was something scenic about it.   It hadn't seemed to make a big impression on me.

After fighting the afternoon winds across the shale hill flats south of St John's—even in our Subaru Outback, I would have been fighting the wind—we descended into the park.  I don't know where I dredged up that sense of flatness, for the lake was surrounded by little interesting hills, topped with rocky bluffs.  I looked forward to not just painting them, but also to hiking some of the trails we'd heard about, trails that wandered through outcrops decorated with Ancestral Puebloan petroglyphs.

After stopping at the little store to claim our reservation, we headed down to our campsite.  M.L. was already there and hooked up.  Our site was directly across from his, and I could see that every site had a view of the lake.  Although we had tested some of the RV's systems, I'd not hooked up before, but it was extremely easy hooking up to electricity and water.  The electricity was especially important, as the highs were supposed to be in the 90s for our two days there, and neither Trina, Raku nor I can tolerate heat.  We had the air conditioning running almost 24/7.  From bed, I'd reach up around 3 a.m. to switch it off until shortly after sunrise, when we'd turn it on again.  (Yes, we like it cold.)

Mornings were quite pleasant, and M.L. and I would head out shortly after breakfast with our packs.  The hill on Petroglyph Peninsula was like a magnet for us with its morning shadows and picnic tables that were ideally placed for plein air painters.  Then, in the middle of the day, we'd take a break.  (I've been working my way through Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven, which is set in a global pandemic.  Believe me, our current pandemic could be a lot worse!)  In the late afternoons, our attention was drawn to a hill closer to the campground, so we'd set our chairs up in the shade of a cottonwood.  Although the mornings were cool and calm, not requiring any shade, afternoons were hot with a gale blowing, and the tree was important not just for shade but also for protection from the wind. 

Before painting each day, Trina, Raku and I hiked the trails at Petroglyph Peninsula.  There are enough interconnecting trails that we were able to do interesting variations each day, with panoramic views around the lake.  If I'd had another day or two, I would have taken my gouache kit on the hikes to do some very early morning painting, as the sunrise light on the rocks was spectacular.  The light was particularly rich because of smoke from the wildfires east in New Mexico, tinting the light with all the warm colors of the spectrum.

I took both gouache and pastel on the trip.  I had time for six sketches, four in gouache and two in pastel.  You'll find some “repeats” of scene in these; I don't mind painting the same feature over and over again.  I always see something different, and thus the experience is always different.

5x8 gouache on 300 gsm cold-press paper

5x8 gouache on 300 gsm cold-press paper

5x8 gouache on 300 gsm cold-press paper

9x12 pastel on UArt 500-grit paper

9x12 pastel on UArt 500-grit paper

Escape from Mud and Snow

"Evening Cliffs" 9x12 Oil - Available

In my last post, I whined about the mud and snow here in northern New Mexico.  Well, to take a little break from it all, Trina, Raku and I headed over to Sedona, Arizona, for a few days of R&R.  Hiking, mostly.  Sedona is a little lower elevation (5000 feet or less), compared to our 7000 feet, and drier, so any snow there long ago sublimated into another dimension.  It was good to get out on the trails.  Most of my trips to Sedona these days involve teaching a workshop, so I don't get to hike as much as I'd like.

Although Sedona's streets and sidewalks are more crowded than ever these days, thanks to an over-muscled Chamber of Commerce and city leadership, the trails are still quiet.  Especially if you get out before the cyclists start touring.  If we finish a hike before noon, we rarely encounter any.  And if we make sure to hike into the designated wilderness areas, we never see any at all—they're not allowed.  Although some of the cyclists respect the “rules of the road,” announcing themselves and giving way to hikers, many do not.  We've had some close moments, especially where on a narrow trail the choice was to either get run down by a herd of cyclists or dive into an acre of prickly pears.  Multi-use trails, in my mind, are a poor compromise.  My advice—hike early or head for the wilderness.

But it wasn't a trip without a little painting.  My Sedona painting friend, M.L. Coleman, invited me to go painting one afternoon.  Joining us would be one of his other friends, Larry Pirnie.  I'd never met Larry before, but he's an artist well-known for paintings of cowboys and other Western themes.  He's been an artist all his life, and it was Norman Rockwell who advised him to attend the Pratt Institute.  “But my recommendation won't mean anything,” Rockwell told him.  “They think I'm just an illustrator.”  From Montana, he's come down every year to Sedona to paint for a spell.  This year he wanted to focus more on the natural landscape.

We headed out to the eastern side of town, over by Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock.  There's not much to say about the afternoon except that the weather was warm, the company pleasant, and the painting superb.  Oh, and no mud.  Life doesn't get any better.

Me, M.L. Coleman and Larry Pirnie.
And Raku.  That's Larry's painting on the easel.

Join Me for Plein Air Painting in Sedona!

I can't believe it, but I still have a few spaces left in my April 7-10, 2020, plein air painting workshop in Sedona, Arizona. Why can't I believe it? Because every time I teach this workshop it usually fills quickly. And why? For two reasons:

First--and I will say it without modesty--I'm a great teacher. Students love my easy-going style. They also love how I share with them a logical, orderly (and stress-free!) way of taking the landscape and putting it down on paper or canvas. Also, unlike some teachers, I do not work on my painting while I should be helping people. I make a point of making my rounds frequently, talking to each student as much as they require, to give them the help they need. Finally, I welcome all levels of painter in the workshop. The only thing I ask is that you have some experience with your materials and have painted before.

Second, Sedona is a fabulous place to paint. Stunning red cliffs, amazing canyon vistas, graceful white sycamores and gnarled cottonwoods, the quiet waters of beautiful Oak Creek...I could go on, but trust me, as someone who has painted in some pretty spectacular places over the years, Sedona is right at the top. What's more, Sedona has a great deal to offer for the afternoons after our session has ended. You can go on a jeep tour, dine at a fine restaurant, shop for local arts and crafts or, if you're like me, take a long hike in one of the wilderness areas to relax and let your mind expand.

Sedona is only two hours from the Phoenix airport or one hour from the Flagstaff airport. There's lots of lodging available close to our meeting place in the studio. Sedona also has a Whole Foods, a Natural Grocer...what more could you want?

I have full details on this workshop here: http://paintthesouthwest.com/sched_reg.html

It's only $300. How can you say no?

And here's one more thing: I will give you an oil demonstration (unframed) from this workshop or a previous one, a $150 value. First come, first served!

Some Sedona Demonstrations

Location shot for "Creekside"

In my last post, I wrote about my recent Sedona plein air painting workshop.  I want to share with you now some of my demonstrations from the week.  Because I had students working in both oil and pastel, I did the same.  So, here are a few:

"Creekside" 9x12 Pastel
Available here
A quiet look at the Verde River south of Sedona in the fall.

"Mountain Study (Thunder Mountain)" 9x12 Oil
Available Here
Thunder Mountain dominates the Sedona landscape.

"My Sycamore" 9x12 Oil
Available Here
I've painted these beautiful Arizona sycamores so
much that I feel they are mine.

"Blue Shed" 9x12 Oil
Available Here

I am offering this all-level workshop again April 7-10, 2020. That's not too long from now, and I'm already accepting registrations. The price is only $300 for four half-days—we work from 9 until 1, but you are welcome to paint longer, and I'll gladly suggest locations for the afternoon—which is a perfect schedule if you wish to bring family or friends. The studio does have inexpensive but limited lodging. (You can find out more about the studio and lodging at https://gandolfosartstudio.com/ .)

If you'd like to join us, I urge you to sign up right away. You can find out more details and register here: http://paintthesouthwest.com/sched_reg.html

For experienced outdoor painters who would like to improve their craft or get career help, I do offer a Private, One-on-One Painting Intensive. For this, I customize a program and you get to work side-by-side with me at my New Mexico studio. I have more details plus my full schedule here: http://paintthesouthwest.com/sched_int.html

Sedona Workshop Wrap-up

Fall color doesn't get better than this!
Red Rock Crossing / Crescent Moon Ranch

I've seen some good fall color in Sedona, but for our plein air painting workshop last week, the color was the best I've seen in years.  Gold, crimson red and lemony yellows, all at peak saturation.  Combine that with the deep blue sky, and you have a situation that verges on being Van Gogh-ish.  Vincent once wrote, "There is no blue without yellow and orange," and the color we saw this week illustrated that statement perfectly.

I had eight students from Arizona, Kansas, California, Indiana and even Austria.  We met each morning in the studio, where some of us also lodged, for lectures and critiques.  After that, we went out to one of several beautiful locations, where I demonstrated how to handle Sedona's spectacular scenery, followed by everyone painting.  One night, we gathered at a new Thai restaurant in town to celebrate our new-found friendship.

We also had some spectacular storms one day.

One of my pastel demos, just begun.
I'll show some of the finished demos in a later blog post.

I am offering this all-level workshop again April 7-10, 2020.  That's not too long from now, and I'm already accepting registrations.  The price is only $300 for four half-days—we work from 9 until 1, but you are welcome to paint longer, and I'll gladly suggest locations for the afternoon—which is a perfect schedule if you wish to bring family or friends.  By the way, the studio does have inexpensive but limited lodging.  (You can find out more about the studio and lodging at https://gandolfosartstudio.com/ .)

If you'd like to join us, I urge you to sign up right away.  You can find out more details and register here:  http://paintthesouthwest.com/sched_reg.html

By the way, if you are an experienced outdoor painter and would like to improve your craft or get help with your career, I do offer a Private Painting Intensive.  For this, I customize a program for you, and you get to work side-by-side with me at my New Mexico studio.  I have more details plus my full schedule here:  http://paintthesouthwest.com/sched_int.html

Morning lectures

Morning critiques

Raku was an added extra and provided entertainment

Painting by Oak Creek

Painting by the Verde River

Our happy group

Join Me in Sedona's Red Rock Country!

Oak Creek at Red Rock Crossing, Sedona, Arizona
*The Iconic View Beloved by Painters and Photographers*

Looking for a beautiful Southwest painting getaway?  I'll be teaching an all-level, all-media, plein air painting workshop in Sedona, Arizona, November 5-8, 2019.  The workshop runs Tuesday through Friday from 9 till 1.  If you want to do more than just learn how to paint Sedona's spectacular scenery, you have afternoons free to explore with family or friends, take a hike or jeep tour, or visit some of this art destination's shops and galleries -- or, you can paint more on your own!

**PLUS**  We have limited lodging at the studio for only $70/night.  If you thought Sedona was more than your pocketbook could handle, then this is for you.  Studio lodging is probably the least expensive lodging in town.  (But it's important that you sign up right away, as there are only two rooms.)  Lodging gives you access to a kitchen, as well.

Each day starts with a short studio lecture and critique session, followed by heading out to a prime painting location.  I'll demonstrate in the field, and then you get to paint.  While you paint, I will go from easel to easel offering help and friendly encouragement.

This workshop is for ALL LEVELS and ALL MEDIA.  I will be demonstrating in oil and pastel.  You can work in oil, pastel, acrylic or gouache.  (I recommend against watercolor, since my technique is more suited for opaque media.)

To sign up, visit http://paintthesouthwest.com/sched_reg.html.  I have full details on the workshop there.  Price is only $300 (does not include lodging).

I hope you'll join us!

PS If this week doesn't work for you, I am teaching the workshop again April 7-10, 2020.  Studio lodging is already full that week, but there is plenty of other lodging close by.

Here's a little video of Sedona (can't see the video? Here's the link: https://youtu.be/dqKzX0EfNYw)

Two Plein Air Painting Workshops in Spectacular Places

A Grand Canyon Sunrise

As many of you know, Grand Canyon is special to me.  I've painted there many, many times, both on my own and as an invited artist at the annual Celebration of Art.  But the Canyon is always in danger.  It is constantly hammered by commercial interests that want to develop it in some way.  (Teddy Roosevelt said, "Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.")  This plein air workshop is part of my ongoing effort to serve as a "steward of the land," and my hope, as I share with you some of my favorite spots, is to raise awareness of the Canyon's beauty.

Time is running out to sign up for this workshop.  I hope you'll join me.

October 23-26, 2019:  Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

I can't speak enough about the sweeping beauty of Grand Canyon.  From the South Rim, where the workshop is based, you can see stunning vistas of the pastel-colored cliffs of the distant North Rim.  In the morning, as the sun rises, or in the evening, as it sets, the pastel colors give way to a deeper, richer palette.   Buttes and cliffs cast violet shadows across the pink and yellow cliff walls.  The Colorado River peeks out here and there along the bottom, a mile below.  Ravens play overhead, and the occasional condor soars alone over the deeper canyon where thermals help lift it ever higher.  Last year at the workshop, we were treated to a rare sight:  desert bighorn sheep, feeding and napping on a cliff a hundred feet below.

A lot of painters are intimidated by the grandeur of this place.  To be sure, standing on the edge, looking north across ten miles of canyon with ten times that distance stretching out east and west, makes a painter ask:  "Where do I even start?"  After having painted there myself countless times, I've learned how to deal with it to my satisfaction and pleasure, and I will share my approach in this workshop.  Also, as part of the Grand Canyon Conservancy's annual "Celebration of Art" invitiational, I've hunted out and discovered many spots where we can get away from the crowds and have these stunning views all to ourselves.  I'd love to share them with you.

This workshop is very special in that it is authorized by the National Park Service and is sponsored by the Grand Canyon Conservancy's Field Institute.  We'll have access to spots the public can't drive to without a special permit, and better yet, we'll be transported by van to these locations.  The workshop fee also includes free camping at the Canyon, if you like to camp.  If you're not a camper, you have plenty of other lodging options, all the way from the world-class El Tovar hotel to more modest hotels and also private cabins, all right on the rim.

I am honored that this organization has selected me to teach this all-level plein air painting workshop.  I hope you'll join me.  You can find full details at https://www.grandcanyon.org/photography-art-yoga/plein-air-painting-2019/

Here's a little video of the last workshop.  (Can't see the video?  See it on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVysOOlEEmY )

November 5-8, 2019:  Sedona, Arizona

Another place special to me is Sedona.  As with Grand Canyon, I've painted there countless times, both privately and also as part of the annual Sedona Plein Air Festival.  Plus, I lived there for ten years!

My favorite time for painting the Southwest is fall.  Not just because the weather is cooler, but because the fall color can be spectacular, especially when seen against Sedona's stunning red rocks.  Having lived and painted in Sedona for ten years, and having participated in the annual Sedona Plein Air Festival invitational for nine years, I know every rock and crevice intimately within 20 miles.

If you've not been to Sedona before, you'll be overwhelmed by the beauty of its natural areas.  Trails wind through juniper and manzanita, with every turn revealing an unexpected vista.  Creeks slide with a whisper beneath smooth-skinned sycamores and rugged cottonwoods.  Although we won't be hiking more than a hundred feet or so from the parking lot, you'll see much that will inspire you.

In this workshop, I'll share my love of the landscape with you as we explore the area's vistas, canyons and creeks—and I'll also share my method for "capturing the moment" quickly and efficiently but without sacrificing mood or magic.  Each day goes from 9 to 1.  After a lecture and critique session in the studio, we'll head to one of my favorite spots where I'll demonstrate, followed by painting time for you.  As always, when our session ends, you can keep on painting—I'll gladly critique what you do the next day—or you can go exploring with friends and family or just on your own.  This all-level plein air painting workshop is a great introduction to painting the Southwest landscape.

There is plenty of lodging in Sedona.  Our studio also offers lodging to students, but the number of spots is very limited, so I urge you to sign up early.  You can find full details at http://paintthesouthwest.com/sched_reg.html

Here's a little video of some of the workshops I've taught there.  (Can't see the video?  See it on YouTube here - https://youtu.be/dqKzX0EfNYw )

Painters on Wheels: Northern Arizona

Monument Valley - This could be Mars

Every year, I try to take a road trip with my painting buddy, M.L. Coleman.  M.L. has a 22-foot Lazy Daze RV, just the thing for two painters who want to ramble the countryside and boondock to get the best views.  This year, since good spring weather seemed to have returned, we decided to head to northern Arizona, leaving from Sedona right after my plein air painting workshop there.

Navajo National Monument

Navajo National Monument

Stocked with ample groceries, fresh water and propane, we first went to Navajo National Monument, not far from Kayenta.  I'd never been there, and frankly, it was a little disappointing from a painter's point of view.  Our campsite—camping, by the way, is free at the campground in the Monument—gave us a view of the top of Betatakin Canyon, and we painted that first evening in the shade of the RV.  There are, of course trails taking you down into the canyon, but you need a guide for those.  There is one other trail, paved, that takes you to an overlook, but it's a bit farther than we wanted to haul our gear.  As this wasn't intended to be a hiking-to-paint trip, we walked the trail and only took photos.

We left the next morning, heading toward Black Mesa.  We'd seen some paintings of Black Mesa that featured interesting rocks, but Black Mesa, which is reached by a steep road, turned out to be mostly a coal mining venture.  And it was flat, flat, flat.  We got to a point where we spotted a sign that marked everything beyond it as belonging to Peabody Western Mining; it also directed us to stop at the security station.  When we asked the two security guards, who were washing down their trucks, if there was anything scenic to paint, they replied, "Nope, nothing scenic here.  But have you been to Monument Valley?"

Monument Valley

Our campsite at Monument Valley

What's a rez without a rez dog?

The easy way of plein air painting - doing your
value sketch in a chair

M.L. Coleman at work

I'd never been, but Trina had taken some wonderful photographs of the area after a camera club trip not so long ago.  Although we'd been thinking of simply heading to Canyon de Chelly National Monument—we'd painted there last year, and I discovered it is a very rich area for the painter—we decided Monument Valley wasn't far, so we thought to take a look.  It's just like you see in the ads, stubby buttes sticking up out of the otherwise flat earth, looking very alien.  (In fact, the red, sandy dirt reminded me a great deal of the photos taken by the Opportunity rover on Mars.)

We first stopped at the Visitor Center.  In a national park, I feel perfectly comfortable painting just about anywhere.  (The general rule is to stay on the trail but not block it.)  But Monument Valley is owned and operated by the Navajo Nation as a tribal park, and most tribal lands require a permit for photography, even if you're just a hobbyist.  We weren't sure if we'd be allowed to paint.  Our entrance fee ($20) to the Visitor Center did allow us to take photos there, but our RV was not permitted on the 17-mile scenic drive.  (Private cars are, however.)  So we took photos from the parking lot and, yes, we could have asked about painting, but we preferred a spot with fewer tourists.  On our drive out, we discovered a private campground (Air Bee and Bee) just outside the park and over the state line in Utah with great views and lots of quiet.  The owners didn't care if we painted or took photos during our stay, so we did plenty of both.

Outhouse with a view

Ravens keeping watch

Our campsite by Sleeping Bear

More rez dogs, always eager for a walk

We finally exhausted the views from that campground.  But before driving south to Canyon de Chelly, M.L. first wanted to head a little north to see what views we might find.  Unexpectedly, we came across another private campground even closer to the buttes.   This one was right below what Kirby Blackwater, the Navajo owner, called "Sleeping Bear."  He pointed it out to us, but you really had to stretch to see the bear.  When asked, he also described the boundaries of his land, which seemed to be about five square miles.  We ended up spending two nights at this quiet, scenic campground in the middle of nowhere.

Until our last day there, the weather had been warm—near 80 and above—and calm.  But then the wind kicked up.  That night, it gusted over 50 miles an hour, and the RV rocked like a hobby horse.  The wind, only somewhat lessened, would stay with us until the end of the trip, and it would be accompanied by rain and snow squalls and much colder temperatures.  The snow was a little surprising for April.  Still, the weather didn't stop us from painting.  Usually, we could find a spot somewhat out of the wind behind a tree or on the lee side of the RV.

This photo doesn't show the full strength of sandblasting winds

Snow squall

Me in a sunny moment

"Wind Advisory" 6x9 oil - available
Look closely, and you can see Martian sand embedded in the paint

Canyon de Chelly National Monument

We took the windiest, rainiest day to drive to Canyon de Chelly.  Although we'd camped at its main campground before, this time we headed up the hill toward Spider Rock, where we remembered seeing a campground there.  Although Spider Rock Campground didn't have the views—we set up in what I would call a "sage forest"—it was just a short drive from Spider Rock.  This is probably the most famous feature of the park.  Last year, it snowed when we were there, and we never got the chance to do more than take photos of it.  This time, again it snowed, and with some serious wind, so we thought we'd miss it yet one more time.  Well, the snow finally let up but the wind didn't, so we ended up seeking sheltered spots, none of which happened to give a view of Spider Rock.  Maybe next year we'll get it down in paint.

Spider Rock

Spider Rock in a snow squall (the raven is enjoying it)

Another snowy morning

With early spring, the canyon floor begins to whisper "green."  In our time at Canyon de Chelly, a good flow of water coursed through Chinle Wash, and you could tell that the pastures and fields and cottonwoods along its bank enjoyed the moisture.  I overheard a couple of tourists talking, and they said that the guided jeep tours had to stop temporarily because the water was too deep.  Some year, it would be good to take a jeep or horseback tour to find some painting spots down in the canyon.  But the rim has spectacular views and plenty of painting opportunities, and we headed back home satisfied, if a bit wind-blown.

Along with a few snapshots, I've included here a few of the sketches from the trip.

Now I am back home in New Mexico, teaching my last one-on-one painting intensive here for the season.  After that, I have a few weeks to work on house projects—no, I don't get to paint every day and every minute!—and then we will be on our annual springtime migration back east.

"Big Butte" 6x9 oil - available

"Face Rock" 9x6 oil - available

"In the Canyon" 9x12 oil - available

"Spring in the Canyon" 9x12 oil - available

"Weather Change" 6x9 oil - available