Tuesday Plein Air Group

James McLean, “Verde Rock Hopper”

The weather looked unsettled this morning, with fog and misty rain over Mingus Mountain, but storms held off until we had finished painting. Despite muddy waters, kids were having a great time cannonballing into the “Dirty Verde” from the rope swing upriver.

Craig showed up with fresh-picked peaches and his perfectly behaved dog who greeted us all like a true gentleman and didn’t criticize our efforts.

We were all happy to see James, who did some charming figure sketches of Tacla and me (not my best side, however!)  Tacla, Carolyn and I tried to capture the muted sunlight illuminating the little runoff between green sycamores. Having inadvertently left my watercolors behind, I had to use soluble crayons and Inktense blocks.  So—that explains a lot.

Craig captured the rope swing adventurers with his pencil sketch. Mike and Betty painted the cattail and reed covered bank, while Sophie chose her magic spot and continued to work on her painting from Day 1.  Kristin did two lovely little watercolor studies of the river that showed her joy in being there.

Gail and Ed set up in the bushes upriver.  Inspired by the burnt sienna flow, Ed did an amazing monochrome study of his portion of the river.

It was another lovely day on the banks of the Verde–the “Purty Verde.”

Left to right: Gail, Sophie, Carolyn, Mike, Tacla, James, Kristen, Betty, Ed, Craig and aka Red Rover

Next week we plan to paint at Dead Horse Park.  Since there is an entry fee and some of us have annual passes, we will meet at the parking area for our Under the Bridge spot and carpool into the park from there.  Directions to Dead Horse are on the Outings and Directions page.

In search of a plein air painting spot in Oak Creek Canyon, I headed upcanyon on the recently reopened road.  Slide Rock is open, but only so visitors can sadly gawk at the black, ash-choked, fire retardant-filled water, guarded by yellow tape and vigilant park rangers.  All the picnic areas and campsites are closed on both sides of the road, but above West Fork the creek clears. 

I pulled off at Mile Marker 386 above Cave Springs Campground and hiked down through a lovely meadow to the creek, clear flowing and unmarked by the Pocket Fire.  The only hazard was the lush poison ivy and I am now soaking in a bathtub of TecNu.

Fearing mud up to our knees from the monsoon, we were relieved to find that the banks were sandy and mostly dry.  Recent rainfall turned the Verde into a surging mocha latte, but Christine was able to capture lovely lavender and lilac light reflections.

Setting up my easel in a stand of willows I breathed in the heady fragrance of river water and damp cottonwoods.  I attempted to capture the little sapling-covered island splitting the burnt-orange flow with my watercolors, but since I am only “watercolor curious” I have very low expectations and skills.  But that can be freeing, don’t you think?

Tecla, Gwen, Ed, Betty, and Carolyn set up on the sandy bank. Pastel, “Betty’s Hat” captured our outing at Page Springs Hatchery.

Others, like James, contended with whippy willow bushes and wet feet. Christine and Suze must be attempting to avoid the papparazzi. Sophie tries to make sense of the river color with her oils.

Mike found a secret spot upriver. We saw a zone-tailed hawk swoop across the river to its nestlings in the cottonwoods on the other side and imagined, but did not see, otters.

Our paintings captured the overcast sky and monsoon-swollen, burnt-sienna Verde.

Left to right: Sophie, Suzie, Betty, Ed, Carolyn, Mike, Tecla, James, Kristen, and Gwen.

Next Tuesday, July 28, we will paint at Tuzigoot for Day 2 and we’ve moved the time to 8:00 because of the heat and humidity.

Intending to paddle Clear Creek near Winslow, monsoon clouds loomed, hinting of flash flooding so I exchanged my kayak for watercolors and painted the quiet reservoir, listened to frogsong and the lilting call of a redwing blackbird (heard but not seen) in the cattails. One of these days my plein air efforts will be successful, but not today, not today.

Fun hogs, swimmers and baskers were horribly disappointed with Oak Creek at Red Rock Crossing. The once clear water was now a dark chocolate brew from the Pocket Fire ash, the swimming hole below the little waterfall curdled with foul yellow foam. Two teenagers grabbed the rope swing over the seething mess, took a tentative swing and landed back on the bank.

Our plein air group braved the heat and humidity to paint in Mike’s Secret Spot, aka Under the Bridge. Thanks to Betty for her photos.

Next week, July 21 we meet at the Tuzigoot take-out on the Verde River. The location is the parking lot on Tuzigoot Road, first right after you cross the bridge. See you there at 8:30.

Mike Trulson, “Under the Bridge”

Despite scorching temps, the intrepid Tuesday Plein Air group met in a spot dubbed, “Under the Bridge.” The spot has good shade below the bridge and fast flowing water from the creek. Next week the group will gather there for Day 2, at 8:30.

Big thanks to Gail for her nice pics.

The weather cooperated at Page Springs Hatchery, with calm after days of gale force winds.  We thought about the Pocket Fire now raging near Kachina Village, where Suzie has a cabin and “go bag” next to the front door, and offered a few prayers for rain and safety for the wildland firefighters.

Christine, Suzie, Mike, Raven and I painted in the deep shade at the far end of the Show Pond. Christine pointed out the difficulty of rendering the light reflecting on the shimmering surface of the pond as well as the reflections off the bottom in the shallows. I thought, but did not say, “No duh!” as I looked at the muddy mess my painting was becoming.

Janelle teetered on her precarious perch on the steps overlooking the pond, painting ancient sycamores with her palette knife with photorealistic accuracy.

At the other end of the pond, under the butterfly arbor, John, Pat, Kristine, and Karen painted trout (Karen demonstrates her famous fish face). Kristine cleverly painted shadows under the fish to animate them.

Downstream, Nita, Carel and Betty painted Oak Creek with lovely incandescent green light reflecting into the trees.  A Blackhawk high above screeched cusswords at us for interfering with its fishing spot, and we smelled, but didn’t see, a skunk in the blackberry bushes.

Carolyn found a comfy spot on a bench overlooking fishermen, photogenic in their yellow t-shirts and straw hats.

Left to Right: Carolyn, Mike, Nita, Karen, Suze, Christine, Kristen, Tecla, Janelle, Betty, Carel, and John. We even had a little art critic peekiing at the paintings. He’s giving us the “thumbs up!”

The group decided to go to Mike’s “Under the Bridge Spot” which spans the creek and has good shade. You can park at the end of the Community Garden and walk down to the site. If you end up at Dead Horse Park, you’ve gone too far.

Next Plein Air Paintout: July 7, 8:30, Under the Bridge, Cottonwood, 8:30

Page Springs Hatchery, an oasis along Oak Creek’s riparian corridor, offered our plein air painters cool shade in the scorching pre-monsoon heat.  The “show pond” harbors a seething mass of trout that Ed teased with handfuls of trout snacks, available for purchase from the little vending machines.  The thick fragrance (or reek) of fish, honeysuckle, and pond water filled the air, and a zillion buzzing bees sipped from an enormous butterfly bush that dropped tiny purple blossoms onto our hats.

Mike painted the pond and its overhanding sycamores, while at the other end, Gail and Tecla had a bird’s eye view of the teeming trout feeding in the shade under the observation platform.

Eileen, Suzie and I took advantage of a nice bench overlooking the creek cutting its way through the shallows.

Ed, Janelle (amid yellow Columbines), Nita, Betty, Carolyn, Pete and LeAnn all walked farther downstream to a lovely spot on the sandy bank.

With temps threatening to send the mercury soaring to well over 100 we decided to take advantage of the deep shade and cool creek side for next week.

June 16, 2026 brought our group to TAPCO along the murky Verde River skirting Cuckoo Island. Although we heard Chats and Summer Tanagers, we were the only cuckoos braving the heat and humidity of the pre-monsoon morning.

We spread out up and down the river to our favorite spots, with Mike, LeAnn, Nita and I breaking trail through the wildflowers and bushes to a lovely view upriver.

When sweat poured into our eyes and down our backs we headed back to the picnic table to admire our plein air works with a passing kayaker–obviously an art critic–who said every painting was gorgeous and he’d buy all of them but he only had a nickel in his life jacket.

I think all of the paintings captured the feeling of morning on the river.

Our intrepid painters included (left to right) Carol, Pete, LeAnn, Tecla, Cris, Ed, Betty, Nita, Mike.