Well I finished another one today. Actually, I should mention that I’ve been working on this one for quite awhile. I started weeks ago and didn’t like how it was coming out at all so I totally redid the background today and now I love it. The forest seemed like the perfect setting for this young man.

I’ve been doing a lot of paintings lately of people who are searching for something. I’ve also noticed that I always seem to do a solitary figure in my paintings. I wonder what it is about that theme that fascinates me. A friend once suggested to me that an artist puts something of herself into every painting she does. Maybe that’s what I’m doing. Anyway, here is my painting. I’m going to call it Vision Quest.

The DeZion art gallery in Springdale Utah (located at the mouth of Zion’s canyon) has agreed to show my work. It’s a really nice gallery and I quite like the other art that they have there. They are even going to let me be in a show. The reception will be on the 4th of July and they would like me to get as many paintings of Zion’s national park done as I possibly can before then so I’m just going at it like crazy these days. I’m really enjoying the work. To be honest I wasn’t sure that I would since I’ve never been all that interested in doing landscapes but Zion’s national park is so breathtakingly beautiful that I’m really getting into it. I’ll post the paintings on here as I finish them.

The DeZion Art Gallery

This is a painting I did from a photo that was taken in Zion’s national park. A gallery down there wants me to do a bunch of paintings of the area so my family and I went and took a ton of pictures and this is the result of one of those photos. The one below of the cowboy was from the same photoshoot. The cowboy is actually my brother Shane. Anyway, I just finished this last night and really like the way it came out.

This is my newest painting. As usual it’s not the best photo but I thought I’d post it anyway. I just finished it today and I really like how it turned out. The cowboy, ground, and some of the plants are colored pencil and the trees are mostly watercolor.

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I drew these flowers at Temple Square. For a month I went there every sunday and spent about 2 or 3 hours drawing a flower. It was fun. Sometimes people would gather around and watch me draw. This was highly uncomfortable and flattering at the same time. Anyway, when I finished each flower I brought it home and painted the background with watercolor. If you would like to learn more about Temple Square or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, go here: lds.org

Sunset is my favorite time of day. I love to take long walks just before the sun is going to set so that I return just after dark. That way I don’t miss anything. I love this best in the wintertime. There is something about the combination of the vivid beauty of the sky and the crisp cold of the air that is invigorating and inspiring. It is at these times that I feel the most alive. I become acutely aware of each breath that I take as the cold forces its way into the warmth of my lungs. My mind becomes clear and I am reminded that most of the little worries and frustrations of life are of little consequence. There is a bigger world out there and I am a part of it.

Original available for purchase. (Contact sales@willowrise.com)

Giclée quality prints are also available. (Please visit willowrise.com for details)

I wrote this poem quite awhile ago. I was at work and wishing desperately that I could be in the mountains. It’s called Let Foot Fall Light. The painting is watercolor and prismacolor. The bird is watercolor and the background is prismacolor. You can click on the image to see it larger if you like.

Original available for purchase. (Contact sales@willowrise.com) Giclée quality prints are also available. (Please visit willowrise.com for details)

Let foot fall light on tender green

make no sound and be not seen

brush no dew from wild rose petal

quickly through the stinging nettle.

Wake not sleeping butterfly

dodge the sparrow’s watchfull eye

over pond by fallen log

stone to stone across the bog

A summer breeze, your cheeks will flush

no raven warns of broken hush

slip into the willow maze

and wrap yourself in morning haze (more…)