What have we been doing?

For over a month I have been working on Christmas crafts for our Christmas Festival here in Escalante AND costumes for the Escalante Elementary School Christmas Play. These you see above were designed for a black light dance. Pretty high tech for our little school and very well received by the audience.

In the play we had the incredible reindeer who save Christmas from disaster. The Laser guy in green, the Robot guy in silver, Mighty Moose with the huge antlers and Hyper-Speed with the silver wings. A good time was had by all!

Now I can go back to working on my book illustrations!

Hope all of you have wonderful holidays!

Zion Was Incredible!

First morning in Zion, cold and foggy



Brad got a bit of painting done though.

We had a grand time at the Grand Canyon. Show in Red Canyon did well. Now we are working on things for the Christmas Festival in Escalante on Nov. 21 and 22.

2014 Escalante Canyons Art Festival Winners

 

                                         
We did it, pulled off the 2014 Art Festival with a minimum amount of teeth gnashing and train wrecking. Thank you everyone who helped me in my first attempt at organizing the Plein Air portion of the event.
Now for a little R&R!!!!

Getting Ready for Escalante Canyons Art Festival

Brad has been scouting for the perfect subject matter for the Plein Air Competition. Be sure to stop by the exhibit to see what he decided upon! Exhibit is judged on Friday the 26th and opens to the public at 11:00am.

The Red Canyon Show is Up!!

Getting Ready for Our Show at Red Canyon

Making tons of greeting cards for our show over at Red Canyon. It opens August 26th at the Visitor's Center.

Inspired by Yellowstone

                    Brad's study of the falls at Yellowstone

            My rendition of the bison. They were so huge there.

Our trip to Yellowstone was so inspiring. We saw elk, bison, deer and even a baby bear. We plan to go back and spend some more time. Next entry I'll include photos from Glacier National Park.

A rose is a rose......

Here is my latest rose con Rusty hair(little white line). I tried a little gold paint to jazz it up a bit. We're getting ready for the Red Canyon show in August. Needed some violet!

Plein Air Painting by Brad

This is one of Brad's favorite plein air paintings, painted for the Escalante Canyons Art Festival a few years ago.

Happy Summer Solstice!

 

 

 

May the sun shine brightly on you and yours.

 

How to Stop Traffic

If you were this big and burly you wouldn't worry about stopping traffic either. He's all...."this is my home, you can just wait!"

Quilt Blocks for my Friend

I did some quilt blocks for my quilter friend Linda Walters who owns "Quilter's Nook" in Cedar City. I hope she likes them!

We're BACK!!!!

Brad did some great paintings, I saw some wonderful quilts, the buffalo were roaming and the artwork was stunning.....we had a great trip to Oklahoma!

Some of Brad's Reference Material

                                 Nice reference photo Brad took near Monument Valley last year.

Charleston, South Carolina

This is where we had lunch, a place called "Slightly North of Broad". We had Fried Chicken Salad that came with great cornbread and sweet tea. Charleston is a beautiful city with tons of history and wonderful southern hospitality.

The architecture is to die for. We saw this gem on our "Ghost Walking Tour" one evening.

Everywhere we looked were elaborate doorways and gateways which I could not resist photographing.

YELLOW IRIS

Yellow Iris

 

Thank you, Harriet Priska for taking my little Iris Vest to "The Intermountain Herbarium Botanical Art Show" on the campus of USU!

 



"Near Monument Valley" by Bradley Spencer

Near Monument Valley
6" X 8" oil

Last year we went to Monument Valley and loved it. We met a man who had met Johnny Depp when he was there making "The Lone Ranger". Of course we bought some jewelry from him. 



Mamma's got a brand new bag

New bags for camera and tablet

 

 

 

I had fun making new bags for my camera and tablet. Will be using these to protect my "devices" on my upcoming trips!

Quilt Exhibit during Escalante Canyons Art Festival

Made by Kaye Bassett for her sister and
my good friend Sue Bassett



During the art festival we will have a quilt exhibition again this year at The People's Exchange. The exhibit promises to be as nice as it was last year. So everyone make plans for the festival. Sept. 26th and 27th.

Soon the Cactus will be Blooming

Won't be long until the cactus will be blooming on the Escalante Desert.
Brad and I like to ride down the desert road and get pictures this time of year.


Cactus Blooming on the Desert
9" X 12"

Second Page of my Book

Quote:

"We think your great, great-grandfather Moore, his older sister

and younger brother got on-board a ship at the Queenstown

Seaport here in Ireland. Without anyone finding out they made it

all the way to Boston. You see, they were too poor to pay for the trip."

 



Sun Spirit Studio: Brad's Painting of Stump Springs

Sun Spirit Studio: Brad's Painting of Stump Springs: Brad's oil painting of Stump Springs     A couple of years ago while Brad  was scoping out spots to compete in the Escalante Ca...

Brad's Painting of Stump Springs

Brad's oil painting of Stump Springs

 

 

A couple of years ago while Brad  was scoping out spots to compete in the Escalante Canyons Art Festival Plein Air Competition we were up at Stump Springs looking around.  He did this piece from that trip later and every time I look at it I can feel that great Fall air and light.

Our Newly Painted Sign

 



Morning Glories

Every summer we have morning glories in the front of the studio. One year I did this painting from them for the Escalante Canyons Art Festival. I didn't submit it for the competition. But a couple of years later it did get a ribbon at the county fair. Some day I'll post the picture I did submit to the plein air exhibit.


Morning Glories by Ruthanne

Brad's Aspen Painting



Aspens

This is one of Brad's paintings from last fall. It captures the back-lit feeling quite well.

Brad has been working on some pieces from our trip to Zion. Ever since we both got free senior passes, we go through Zion as often as possible.


Zion by Bradley Spencer

Erin

Meet Erin, she is the curious kindergartener in the children's book I am working on. This is a detail of the first illustration, done with applique and embroider. 

Erin by Ruthanne Oliver
Sun Spirit Studio

Thank you to all who took a peek at our new blog!

Thank you, everyone who looked at the new Sun Spirit Studio blog. Today we're actually working on our artwork instead of the computer! Should have some more pictures for you soon! Please keep checking in!

Ruthanne's Fibre work " Gladiolas"

Brad's "Clouds Over the Desert"