I’ve been riding with friends near Moab, Utah, for 30 years, mostly in Professor Valley, 15 miles east of town on the Colorado River. Last year’s riders included artists June Dudley, Cindy Long, Marlin Rotach, a few family members, and me. The artists represent a solid core and have come for the ride for many years.

Our purpose is to get out of the studio and into the pictures we paint—to feel the reins with our fingers, smell the horse’s sweat, and hear the squeak of saddle leather. The attractions are the friendships that have developed, and the unique scenery, a festival for our eyes. We do take pictures sometimes and produce paintings—that’s what artists do, but that is not the point. There are always some adventures and memories to take home with us.

In 1993, Colin Fryer built Red Cliffs Lodge on the river’s edge, where the towering cliffs separate just enough to create Professor Valley. He had grazing permits and cattle—and he’d started a winery. He asked my wife Cha Cha and I to design his wine labels. We bonded with him, talking about horses and cows—and then designed his labels. I’ve been to Moab every year since, often more than once. It has become a tradition.

Read the full article in the January/February 2025 issue.