Three New Stickers

I added three new stickers to my shop this week. Click here to buy, share, gawk, critique, you know the drill. My #NPSLover stickers are listed first with my I ♥ Public Lands sticker right below them.

Up first is the painting I did last summer of the Milky Way over Sand Dune Arch at Arches National Park. I painted this during the weekend I spent at Draper’s Art in the Barn. It was a 2-day art exhibition (my first ever!), and I found it impossible to just sit or stand while people milled about, so I brought supplies to paint and ended up doing 3 small paintings.

Sand Dune Arch was a favorite spot of my kids when they were younger and didn’t much care about the awe of the park. Hike for just a few minutes in between these giant fins of sandstone and there’s an arch in there; it’s super short. It’s a wonderful spot to let little ones play in the fine sand and, depending on when you get there, you could rest in the shade. This spot can be super popular in the summer months when it’s hot. We’ve been to Arches multiple times, but only in April and May; which I HIGHLY recommend. Spring Break is a wonderful time to visit Moab.

You can click on the image to purchase a sticker too.

Next up is a painting I did of Corona Arch, just outside of Moab. It’s one of my favorite places ever and I did this painting for a client a while back to be printed on neck gaiters some day. For this sticker, I went with a new-to-me website, Jukebox Print, for these stickers and I LOVE how they turned out.

This is one of my favorite paintings and I had SUCH a fun time painting it. It was one of those times where I felt like I was in a groove and paper and paint just cooperated and coordinated.

Last up is Sundial Peak in Big Cottonwood Canyon and part of the Wasatch National Forest. I had to do some research to find out if this peak was on National Park Service land or BLM Land. I’m still not 100% sure, because I also see it tagged in the Twin Peaks Wilderness. This spot is close to where we live and it’s a hike I hope to do this summer. If I can plan it right (depending on snow melt and weather, we’ve had a TON of snow this winter), I want to do a backpacking trip there. It’s a tough trail with a lot of elevation gain, but it’s supposed to be worth it… barring the mosquito situation.

I painted this one just last month to help pull me out of a funk I was in. Finishing it, and subsequently making a few changes in Photoshop, really helped pull me out of my Winter Blues and the funk that I was in. I will have this available as a giclée print in a couple of sizes in the coming months.

I actually made a mistake when ordering this one as stickers. I didn’t pay attention to the wording on a sale and I ended up ordering 2x2 inch stickers. These are a lot smaller than I usually order, so I may just make these freebies to anyone who places an order.

I will order this in a 3x3 inch sticker at some point.

I want to paint some places that are gorgeous and not in Utah next. I have a few spots on my list like South Falls in Oregon, and I have a photo that I took of a beach in Half Moon Bay, California that I may paint. Any suggestions??

Sundial Peak Watercolor

I have been struggling to have the motivation to paint the last month or two. I really want to make more paintings that I can turn into stickers and maybe even sell as prints, but motivation just hasn’t been there. My kids are back to attending school in-person too, so it’s not like I don’t have the time. Sometimes it’s kind of like exercise: when I don’t feel like doing it, if I force myself, I feel so much better afterward and feel glad that I pushed myself.

This was my mood the other night, so I made myself a mug of hot tea, put some Star Trek: Discovery on my iPad and set to work on a new painting. I wanted to do another starry night sky, so I chose a mountain that is relatively close to home rather than a spot in southern Utah: Sundial Peak and Lake Blanche. Lake Blanche is in Big Cottonwood Canyon and it’s a hike I really want to do this year. It’s more challenging than ones we’ve done before, so I haven’t been able to go with my kids. I have heard that we can backpack up there too, so I’m going to try and convince my oldest to go backpacking with me up there. The promise of a lake with fish should be enough.

By the way, I bought myself a second Pocket Palette so I can keep my warm and cool colors separate and I am loving it!

I chose not to go over this one with black ink. I felt it really didn’t need it. I also need to stop using blue painter’s tape and get some proper masking tape. I keep having issues with the tape tearing the paper. I’m betting thicker paper may help too.

I don’t know if I will turn this one into a sticker. I like how it turned out, but there are a few tweaks I’d like to make to the colors before I will be happy with making it a sticker. Plus, it’s part of National Forest land, not sure my “I heart public lands” verbiage really works. Should I do something else? Maybe a short quote about wilderness or exploration? I will have to think on it for a bit.

In the meantime, here’s a time lapse of how I made this painting:

By the way, are you following my YouTube channel? If not, here’s the link. My kids keep telling me I need to post more, so I’m working on that. The fact that I have no formal video-editing skills is quite apparent.

Here are the materials I used for this painting (many of these are affiliate links):

Daniel Smith Watercolor
Trekell Watercolor Brushes
daVinci Travel Watercolor Brushes
Pocket Palette (x2)
Grumbacher Miskit Masking Fluid
Fluid Cold Press Watercolor Paper
Phone Holder/Ring Light Thingie (quite handy!)

I never regret forcing myself to paint… but occasionally, I start a painting and never finish. I have a painting started on my desk right now, and I’m not sure if I will finish it. I want to do two more paintings on Utah’s public lands and then I will offer a deal on buying the whole set of stickers. I need to get that finished.

Any suggestions on beautiful spots you’d like to see painted?? I have some ideas saved, but I would love to hear more; even from spots that are not in Utah!

Plein Air Painting

More than a year ago I bought myself an Art Toolkit and this summer I was finally able to use it. In mid-July we hit up one of our favorite fishing spots in the high Uinta Mountains and the reflection in the water was just beautiful, so I gave it a go. It turned out much better than I expected. The Uintas are a place we go to escape the heat of the Salt Lake Valley in the summer. We’ll bring a lunch and spend a whole day out there; lounging, fishing, painting, and enjoying the quiet with no cell service.

Pass Lake, Uinta Mountains, UT

Since then I’ve used my Art Toolkit a few times on some of our summer travels and even in my friend’s backyard.

Split Mountain Campground, Green River, Dinosaur National Monument, UT

This was such a wonderful little spot to spend an afternoon. We explored some of the Utah side of Dinosaur National Monument, but we had no idea what there was to see other than a museum about dinosaurs. We found some day-use parking at the Split Mountain Campground and we thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful spot. My husband and my oldest son did some fly fishing while my youngest and I chilled in the shade painting and building a sand castle. I cannot wait to get back there someday.

Lucerne Valley Beach, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, UT

Fishing with my son at a local pond

I was reluctant to share this painting when I took my son fishing one early morning before it got hot. I’m actually not happy with it. I had a plan for the water and then a bunch of ducks kept swimming by and made me change it and before I knew it, the water was a mess. Oh well. It was a learning experience. I did go back over the trees with black ink to flush out some of the shapes and I was a little happier with it. But still not happy about the water.

Lone Peak, Wasatch Mountains, UT, view from my friend’s backyard

The Art Toolkit is really thought-out and obviously curated by an artist. It comes decked out with all of the little essentials you’d need for some plein air watercolor painting. It comes with a water brush, pencil, waterproof pen, a tiny squirt bottle, a syringe for refilling the water brush, a little, plastic ruler, two tiny binder clips, and a notebook of watercolor paper that fits perfectly in the big pocket. Lastly, you can choose from a variety of options for the Pocket Pallete

I have since replaced the pen with a couple new ones since I wore out the one that came with it. I have added a second Pocket Palette to my kit; one with warm colors, the other with cool colors. I added a couple more water brushes and I keep a few business cards in one of the pockets. Sometimes I can bring a cup of water with me, so I keep a couple of my favorite regular brushes in there. I never would’ve thought of the little binder clips that come with it, but I use them each and every time I paint.

I really hope to fill up the book that came with the kit. It brings me so much joy to be able to capture a little moment when I see a beautiful landscape.

Strawberry Reservoir, UT