Escalante Canyons Working Art Festival

Everett Ruess Days

September 24-25, 2010 in Escalante, Utah

(Plein Air Competition: September 19-23, 2010)

Woodblock print by Everett Ruess Circa 1930 PLEIN AIR COMPETITION 2009 The Sixth Escalante Canyons Art Festival was held September 25-26, 2009 in Escalante, Utah. 2009 marks our 6th annual success story with 114 beautiful plein air entries into the painting competition, up form 96 entries last year. Plein air paintings are painted on location, outdoors, and in a short amount of time. The quality of the art entries was superb. Grand Prize winner in the oil/acrylic category: Herb White Grand Prize winner in watercolor/mixed media category: Tryntje Seymour

Artists from all over Utah and several other states participated in the competition. We awarded $7,500.00 in prize monies to the artists, making it worthwhile for the artists to compete. Most of the artists reported feeling that they benefited financially as well as artistically from the experience of painting in the Grand Staircase -Escalante National Monument, Dixie National Forest, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Capitol Reef National Park.

Artists had a sense of camaraderie and enjoyed the added benefit of painting with each other. There were some great discussions around campfires about the nature of art, painting techniques and style, and the beauty of the fantastic landscape around Escalante. This year we initiated what hopefully will become a regular feature of the festival, an all day workshop on Wednesday, where the artists can paint together.

“PAINTIN' FOOLS” BY STEPHEN ELKINS THEY'RE SO COOL. THEY'RE PAINTIN' FOOLS, THOSE PLEIN-AIR PAINTERS I KNOW. THEY PAINT IN THE SUN AND THEY SAY IT'S FUN. IT'S NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED, THOUGH. THEY'LL DRIVE MILES AND MILES STILL WEARIN' THEIR SMILES TIL THEY FIND JUST THE RIGHT SCENIC VIEW. THEY'LL BOUNCE UP AND DOWN AND NOT EVEN FROWN ON WASHBOARD ROADS, AND NO LOO. THEN THEY'LL WALK ANOTHER MILE MORE OVER ROCKS, THROUGH BRUSH AND BRAMBLE TIL THEY GET TO THE PLACE WHERE THEY CAN FACE THE SUBJECT AT JUST THE RIGHT ANGLE. THEY'LL PAINT FOR HOURS UNLESS IT SHOWERS IN WIND AND SUN AND SHADE. GO AHEAD, INTERRUPT THEM. IT WON'T CORRUPT THEM AS LONG AS YOU SAY, "THAT'S GREAT." THEN AFTER FOUR OR FIVE HOURS MORE YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT YOU SEE. THEY'VE CAPTURED THE ESSENCE AND THE FLOURESCENCE OF THAT MARVELOUS SCENERY. OH, THEY'RE SO COOL, THOSE PAINTIN' FOOLS, THOSE PLEIN-AIR PAINTERS I KNOW. THEY PAINT IN THE SUN AND THEY SAY IT'S FUN. IT'S NOT FOR THE FAIN-HEARTED, THOUGH.

Jared Barnes painting on Highway 12 Rob Wilson & Jennifer Gubler at Devil’s Garden