Painting Retreat Report: Hiking to Sketch in Sedona

Sedona Juniper, 8x10 Oil / Available

I've been painting in Sedona for nearly 20 years and have been teaching workshops there for most of that. Sedona sits smack-dab in the middle of awesome beauty: red rock buttes and mesas, quiet creeks edged with graceful white sycamores, and an abundance of hiking trails through it all. But I have to confess, as seductive as the trails are, I've had students paint only from the parking lots. Sure, you can get even more spectacular views if you hike a little way in. But because I usually had at least one older student with mobility issues, I rarely took them on the trails.

These days, I've cut back somewhat on the workshops and am leading mostly painting retreats. Because these tend to be much smaller groups, I'm able to fill a week even if I say something possibly scary like, "You need to be able to hike in a quarter-mile comfortably with your gear." Although I did enjoy teaching the parking lot workshops, being able to share a favorite trail with a few other artists is a real treat.

This past week, I led just such a retreat. The theme was "Hiking to Sketch and Photograph." I had just two participants because the house we rented for our lodging set the limit—but I doubt if I'd want any more, as I found this was the perfect number. (And it helped with parking, too, as trailheads get parked up early in the day.) It was a very productive, enjoyable week for all of us. Below are some of my sketches and a few photos.

By the way, I'll be doing this same hiking to sketch retreat again in November and also in April 2025. If you're interested, let me know! I'm limiting participation to just two parties.

Sedona Snag, 10x8 Oil / Available

Click on each image to see the full sketch. These are all 5x8 gouache. NFS.

Click on each image to see it in full.