Last Post from Sedona

Now for the last part of the trip and some of the paintings . . .

On Wednesday we visited Upper Red Rock Loop Road to paint again – this time Candy came along. We had told her how beautiful the area was and Ginny and I would love to paint there again. I decided since I painted this spot in oil the first time, today I would paint in pastel. I think they are pretty successful, with one that still needs a little work.

Watercolor underpainting
On Ampersand Pastelbord

The first painting I did, I took my time doing the drawing and watercolor underpainting. I was so in love with the underpainting, I decided not to do the pastel on top -- just at this time. I want to enjoy what I love about the underpainting just for a bit.

Red Rock Cliff
Pastel - unfinished

Second painting - and somewhat unfinished . . . I cut our painting day a little short -- I talked to Mark Hemleben from Jerome about painting on Thursday morning with him and near Jerome . . . but he asked if we were interested in coming to Jerome that evening to do a nocturne painting! I asked the girls and we decided -- "what the heck" -- let's do it! So we arrived there about 6:00ish and scouted out a good spot. Mark and two friends arrived just before 7:00 (the appointed time). The two friends were Carol Marine and James Coulter . . . both excellent artists. We had a great time and met new artists! Good stuff, yes?


Nocturne (night painting)
Jerome, AZ - pastel 12x9



Thursday we decided to visit Cathedral Rock again – at Red Rock Crossing – and this time I would paint the same scene in pastel since I had done it in oil a couple of days earlier. And we wanted to get good use out of our weekly pass into the Red Rock areas. It was another beautiful and warm day for painting in the sun – thankfully I had my umbrella to give me a break from having the sun in my eyes.

Again, these might not be the best paintings to frame, but are good resource material and I am learning more each time I paint the red rock monuments! I only painted one at Cathedral Rock -- 16" x 20"  -- but a little closer view than the previous one.



Cathedral Rock - Pastel - 16x20




Schnebly Hill was our destination for Friday morning – after we visited Michael Chesley Johnson’s new studio and workshop location. What a great facility he is leasing for his workshops and studio – right across the street from Tlaquepaque! One of the best areas of town – and right next to Oak Creek and a historic old rock pump house. He has even named his studio Pumphouse Studio. Michael went with us to paint on Schnebly Hill. That was a treat also. He said he had not painted the whole of this week since the end of the Sedona Plein Air Festival and needed a break from getting his studio ready for students next week.

What a beautiful day painting those magnificent mountains just right there on the edge of the main street of Sedona. Many of the jeep tours take people up this hill and to see one of the most beautiful sights and overlooks in Sedona.

Here are three paintings I did that morning.


Schnebly Shadows
Pastel - 10" x 8"
Will be going to Windrush Gallery in Sedona



Schnebly View
Pastel - 10" x 8"
Will be going to Windrush Gallery in Sedona



The Schnebly Shadows painting has been tweaked a little where the tree is on the left -- to create a more balanced looking tree for the foreground and the blue behind has been modified somewhat to create a prgression down the hill -- I did these small corrections before I showed the painting the the gallery owner, John McCullough, at Windrush Gallery here in Sedona!

And the last one of the day . . .

Schnebly Cactus
Pastel - 10" x 8"

Tomorrow morning we will leave Sedona about 7:00 a.m. to start back home -- Amarillo, TX will be our first stop for the night . . . Little Rock, AR for the second night . . . and then we will be home on Thursday later in the afternoon.

Thanks for joining me on our adventures here out West! Later!!!!