Art Inspiration in Sanpete County, Utah

Ephraim, Utah's Snow College is the location of Carl Purcell's Summer Snow, a two week workshop for aspiring watercolorists.   Fairbanks watercolor friends Sherry, Dawn, and Phyllis, along with New Yorker friend, Jan, met up with me to attend the 2011 workshop and further our artistic development with Carl's guidance.  Here are some highlights from our exploration of the Ephraim area and Sanpete County.

After the first week of painting, we decide to take in some of the sights of Sanpete County and gather some painting reference photos. Below are two views of Maple Canyon.

Below Maple Canyon is the small community of Freedom, Utah which offers a sweeping view of the surrounding valley and farmland.

This little bird can't decide what to do with the fat, green worm she has in her mouth. She perches for a long while on the roof before finally going inside for her snack.

Jared takes a break from his mowing job at the Freedom Cemetery and shares some friendly conversation with us as we enjoy the beautiful setting.

Seems Bigfoot has found his way to Freedom, Utah, and watches over the local turkeys and cattle, perhaps enjoying a turkey treat now and then.

The Sanpitch River is overflowing with melting snow from the nearby mountains, making beautiful reflections for us to enjoy.

Across the river in Spring City we find some wonderful art galleries and enjoy talking with the gracious owners about local art and artists.

Poppies and other spring flowers give a glorious show for us and our shutters click away.

The Manti LDS (Latter Day Saints) Temple makes a beautiful sight overlooking the road to Ephraim.

Ephraim has several noteworthy eateries, one being the Malt Shop on Main Street.  Phyllis and I enjoy a cool treat after our sightseeing trip around the area.

More workshop reports to follow. 

Painting in the Utah Sun

Ephraim, Utah's Snow College is the location of Carl Purcell's Summer Snow, a two week workshop for aspiring watercolorists.   Fairbanks watercolor friends Sherry, Dawn, and Phyllis, along with New Yorker friend, Jan, met up with me to attend the 2011 workshop and further our artistic development with Carl's guidance.  Here are more highlights from the workshop.

Friday's outdoor painting session takes place in Carl's hometown neighborhood in Manti.  We find the area full of fascinating sheds, fences, old tools and equipment, and lovely brick farm outbuildings.  The temperature is great in the shade, but rather blistering in the sun, which I realize a little too late.

Reference photos are always helpful for finishing a painting back in the studio.

A wonderful assortment of outbuildings provides plenty of inspiration for our paintings.

George looks somewhat like a prop for a western movie, don't you think?

What, Carl's new easel is already broken?  Easel come, easel go.

Carl entices the chickens out of their coop with some fresh grass so he can sketch them.

This young horse looks a little bored as he watches us paint.

 Carl and I have a good view of an old shed from between the horse and the chickens.  Doesn't smell all the good, but we enjoy the critters and the view nevertheless.

My painting develops almost as fast as my sunburn.  After several hours in this sun my neck looks redder than my burnt sienna pigment.

 I get a decent start on my painting of the shed, which I finish up later on in the session.

On the way home, I snap a photo of this poor woman perpetually stuck in her John.  Though it is cute and a good reminder to eat more fiber, it has absolutely nothing to do with today's painting session. . .  I just like her.

Painting with Carl Purcell - Day One

 

Watercolor Workshop:  Carl Purcell's Summer Snow

Ephraim, Utah's Snow College is the location of Carl Purcell's Summer Snow, a two week workshop for aspiring watercolorists.   Fairbanks watercolor friends Sherry, Dawn, and Phyllis, along with New Yorker friend, Jan, met up with me to attend the 2011 workshop and further our artistic development with Carl's guidance.  Here are some highlights from the first day of the workshop.

We all relish Carl's wonderful painting advice, stories, jokes, poetry, and even the occasional Danny Boy sung in great form, as we silently hope and pray that we can put a bit his teachings into practice.

 Carl's first demo painting, reflected in the overhead mirror, is taking shape.  The subject is one of the many quaint farmhouses found around Sanpete Valley.  

The Alaska contingent has a photo op on the comfy couch perched in the very back of the demo room.

After the demo, Betsy works intently on an exercise

while Carl and Annie confer about her work.

Jan looks like she's having just too much fun. . . 

Sherry is just too serious. . . 

and Victoria expertly sketches Mr. Buster.

 Jan and Dawn start their masterpieces,

while Phyllis dabs some paint on hers.

We all work on our paintings several hours after lunch before the daily critique at the end of the day.  Here you see all the paintings piled up ready for the big reveal.

There are so many excellent paintings from the class I wish I could include them all.  Here are ours and one by another classmate and author, George Durrant, our token male painter:

Sherry 

Dawn

Betsy

Jan

Phyllis

and George

 More news about the workshop and our extracurricular excursions coming soon.  Please check back!

Watercolor Workshop Part 1: Dorm Life and the Boomers

Watercolor Workshop:  Carl Purcell's Summer Snow

Ephraim, Utah's Snow College is the location of Carl Purcell's Summer Snow, a two week workshop for aspiring watercolorists.  Fairbanks watercolor friends Sherry, Dawn, and Phyllis, along with New Yorker friend, Jan, met up with me here after my visit in Parowan with my parents (see my previous post).  We are all attending Carl's workshop and co-habitating, dorm-style, in a nearby student apartment complex.  Dorm-life again, after all these years, can be a challenge for us baby boomers.

However, the Park Place student apartment complex turns out to be quite a bit nicer than the student housing I remember from my college days so long ago. 

There is even a pretty little stream running through the complex, alongside the volleyball court, outdoor hot tub, club house, fitness center, gazebo, basketball court, and lush lawns.

Sherry and Phyllis talk to Susan, another workshop participant from Park City, Utah.

Jan and Dawn chat in our apartment dining area.  The apartment has a full kitchen, but lo, there are no utensils to be found.

There are two bedrooms and one bath downstairs, and four bedrooms with two baths upstairs.  Plenty of room for five boomer chicks, set in their ways.

First order of business is a trip to the Ephraim Wal-Mart, where we load up on food  and some assorted pots and eating utensils.

At check-out we almost have heart failure.  We eat light, but we eat healthy, which is obviously not the frugal Ramen noodle and frozen pizza fare of our younger years.

The mondo receipt, which we promptly misplace of course, so there is no turning back now.

Heading out of the store with our booty, and

squeezing it all into the car trunk is a totally awesome feat for our age group.

The first day in Ephraim is a windy one, with gusts up to 40 mph.  We decide to check out an elusive lake on the far side of some farm fields, which unfortunately turns out to be a mirage.  

However, Phyllis gets a complimentary hair re-do thanks to the wind, and we have a good laugh at her expense.

Next post coming soon:  

Watercolor Woes and Wows, showing some of the great stuff Carl does in his workshops.  Stay tuned.

~Betsy