Rachel conquers Spring City

Spring City Plein Air Competition

Knowing that Rachel's talent and enthousiasm,  I pulled her out of school in the middle of the day. 

(Don't tell.) The drive to Spring city from our house is one hour of stunning scenes like these.  It felt like driving through a Michael Workman world. We arrived very inspired to paint.

We'll skip the roaring traffic, sunburnt hours, spilt paint, dirt and rain in the paint, and just tell how it ended.
Before delivering our paintings, We ran into George Hanrahan, who gave Rachel some pointers on her painting, suggesting she increase her values.  So we parked in a downpour next to Steve McGinty, all of us adding final touches inside our steamy cars.

After working very hard, and knowing that her painting  had turned out well Rachel declared the day funner than Lagoon. At which point I carefully took her painting and flipped it face down into my open pallet of oil paint. We're still wondering if Steve McGinty could hear our screams.

Luckily were able to clean it all up , no harm done.  And as I reached to place  her newly cleaned painting in the frame, Rachel says fearfuly, "not over the pallette, mom."

Rachel painted some roadside sheep

I chose some rose hips

"The Sacred Seed is the substance thereof"
 My goal for the competition was to build my "brand"  amongst all the other artists.
So I was delighted when David Erickson commented to another artist
that my painting (above) was one of the few that held their own soul
instead of trying to be typical Plein Air landscapes.
Delighted especially to discover  He is the owner of my dream gallery.

Proud artist

After delivering our paintings we went in the restroom 
and discovered our matching elbows covered in paint

We returned the last day to discover Rahel's mentor, nationaly famous George Hanrahan, had purchased Rachel's  piece.

Rachel's first red dot

owner and artist

Rachel studying the master.

After the  awards are named the participants can go tour the local artists homes.  It is so fun to see the art in studio,  it feels like you have really hit the jackpot to see Kathy Peterson's work in her divinely unique home.  It all comes together,  her frames, taste, style, subjects, personality.  Her dog.

Rachel had a constant barage of compliments on her success,  from some of the most reknowned artists of Utah,  Lee Udall Benion, M'Lisa Paulsen, Doug Fryer, Eric Thompson, and  here she is with Randal Lake and George Hanrahan.

And this was the coolest studio of all time.
 Look at how  worn the step of that threshold is.  Beautiful!

Entering Randal Lake's cabin/studio.   The walls are covered in framed pieces,  complimented by other absurdities like a buffalo head, player piano, pot bellied stove, antique furniture, crazy green chair, bathroom under the stair, etc. etc.

did you catch the red wire candalabra hanging from the ceiling?

Classic quilted antique beds upstairs where their family stays for events like this.

Candlabra profussion in every window.

I think there are 8 paintings on that easle.  And the table is swimming in magazine articles feature Randal.

 Look at that stove wedged between the door and window. And a kitchen table to the left holds enough pasta and other staples to survive a weekend painting trip.  I  love how it just oozed with a flagrant disregard for all the niceties of polite home decore.  Just hard core art.

This is the front door- a caricature of the artist reigning in his shoulder angel and demon, a tiny plaquard  in french welcoming the artist, and 63. Perfect.

One last stop before we left town,  DAS cafe, a german family runs this little european greasy  spoon.  They hang a sign that says  "never trust a skinny cook"  and between  potato salad and sausage, you won't be skinny either. Their overflow of customers are seated in the empty historic theatre next store.  We shared a kraut burger, and didn't have to eat ever again.





Bottom Line-  We'd like to invite you to the Spring City plein air competition to see what Rachel paints next year. Mark your calendar.  It's only 360 days away.