paint the Scenic Wonders of Southwest Utah
Join our unforgettable working tours for Plein Air Artists
November 2025 Itinerary
WELCOME ARTIST!
We are thrilled that you are considering joining us for five days of fun, camaraderie, and most importantly, the opportunity to artistically interpret some of the most unique and striking landscape in the entire world!
Everything about our tour is first class yet remarkably affordable. We have worked hard to be able to check both those two boxes.
We will do everything we reasonably can to assure you leave our time together with a lifetime of happy memories!
Please note that times, dates, and locations are subject to change and, of course, are weather permitting.
Meals that are included in the price of the event (denoted by *) do not include alcohol.
November 17 is Monday
Our Mercedes Sprinter
Pick up right at the airport for those who flew into Las Vegas. Our magic carpet for the week is a Mercedes Sprinter with individual leather captains chairs.
Check in at Zion/Springdale Hotel de Novo, a Hilton Tapestry Collection property.
Gather for a fun and informative WELCOME DINNER* with Kim Blackman, your St George Artist Tours' Host.
Meet your Art Instructor, Mary Rose O'Connell, a highly acclaimed and sought after plein air expert who will be with us all week to assist with anything you might need to get the best out of your paints (and cameras).
Tuesday is November 18
Tuesday is November 18
Zion Canyon Mesa
Following breakfast* at the hotel, we are off to Zion Canyon Mesa, a developing retreat for writers, artists, and visionaries. It is just outside of the park and it features a unique, elevated view. After painting, lunch will be on your own in the cute little town of Springdale, Utah. Then a walk about, followed by return to the hotel for more painting, or pool and hot tub time. Dinner * at Oscars.
Day 3 is Wednesday
Day 3 is Wednesday
Tuesday is November 18
The Virgin River in Zion National Park
Enjoy breakfast in the hotel cafe. Early birds are invited to set up and paint before hotel check out.
Then we’re off on an extensive Zion tour - First upper Zion. Besides stops for unique picture taking, we might be lucky enough to spot bighorn sheep impossibly clinging to the colorful Navajo Indian sandstone precipices. Next, back to lower Zion, the more common visitors' route. DIY Lunch will be at the Zion Lodge.
Then on to more Lower Zion for more photo ops. Dinner at the well regarded Balcony One* on the way to checking into our hotel - The Advenire, part of Marriott's Autograph Collection - in downtown St. George.
Day 4 is Thursday
Day 3 is Wednesday
Day 4 is Thursday
Snow Canyon State Park
Breakfast will again be on our own, because there are at least a dozen cafes on the vicinity of our St George hotel. Then it's on to Snow Canyon, today's dazzling painting location where breathtaking horizons will enthrall painters and photographers alike. Optional light hiking will be part of this day trip, but nothing too strenuous. And those with a little more vigor are welcome to hike further into the stunning canyon. We’ll have a box lunch * with us to enjoy in the great outdoors… a picnic! We’ll go back to the hotel to clean up, because dinner* includes a hands-on lesson from a gourmet chef! We’ll help prepare what we eat! and you will go home with a fantastic menu for your next dinner party!
Day 5 is Friday
Day 3 is Wednesday
Day 4 is Thursday
The Old Jail in Downtown St. George
This day we set you loose in St. George, so breakfast and lunch will be on your own. Discover the rich and quite unique culture and history of this historically Mormon, but now fast growing and modernizing, community. Visit some of the charming downtown stores, meet the locals, and learn about their customs and traditions. For those who would like to paint today, we have arranged a downtown painting location - Pioneer Park. Visit the local shops (we have arranged for a discount for you at some) or visit Sears Art Museum and the local Tabernacle and Brigham Young's winter home - both quite fascinating.
Dinner* is at the Xetava in "dark sky" country and then a special treat - the Broadway musical Elf at world famous Tuacahn Red Rock Amphitheater (don't worry about the cold - our performance is indoors)
Departure Saturday November 22
Departure Saturday November 22
Departure Saturday November 22
Breakfast* at the hotel. Fairwell to all. Transportation back to Las Vegas is provided those leaving from that airport or wanting to spend a day of two there. For your planning you will be at Las Vegas International airport by about 12 noon.
KIM BLACKMAN and St. George Tour Company
Believe it or not, the seed for the St. George Tour Company was planted in New York City! That is where my 7th-grade history teacher shared a slide show (remember those?) of his family’s summer cross- country vacation. Once I saw the wide open spaces of the west, the clear blue skies, and most memorably, the stunning red rock canyons and mesas, I knew my life’s goal was to live among it all. It turned out to be a long journey. One that took me to Buffalo, Miami, and Los Angeles before I discovered, and managed to set domicile in, St George, Utah!
My career was just as varied – public school teacher, cross-country teen tour leader, lawyer, art gallery owner, and international art producer. But, through it all, my heart always longed for travel, especially as a tour guide. While other kids in school wanted to be pilots and policemen, I wanted to be a concierge! While my peers in law school were studying corporate law, I was designing marketing materials for tours to Africa. And while spending a year in China, it was not usual for me to assist the hotel staff by helping my fellow English- speaking guests with what to do and see in Beijing, Shanghai, or Hong Kong.
So when, a couple of years ago, I was working in a downtown St. George art gallery, and folks would wander in and ask what there was to do, I would light up! And they got an earful! After a bit, I shared these experiences with a gal at the Greater Zion Tourist Bureau and, seeing my unbridled enthusiasm, she suggested a tour company. St. George Tour Company was thus born and began garnering (exclusively) 5 star reviews.
Our Special Guest Instructor: Mary Rose O’Connell
Mary Rose O’Connell is best known for her dynamic oil paintings of the New England coast. Other genres she has mastered are her sensitive portrait, still life, and landscape paintings. She paints in her studio and en plein air in a representative style. Classically trained in the Boston School Tradition, her work shows a strong grounding in composition and design combined with the color and light
Along with being a national award-winning artist, Mary Rose was a past recipient of the Charles Family Foundation, Cape Ann Museum, and Copley Society of Art Fellowship. Mary Rose is a juried artist member of the Copley Society of Art, the North Shore Arts Association, and the Rockport Art Association. She has exhibited with the Oil Painters of America, the American Impressionists Society, and the
As she does in her ongoing classes, Mary Rose will instruct in composition and design using oil, acrylic, gouache, and drawing mediums. She will assist with techniques for interpreting our scenes, composition, and managing light and color.
In addition to the technical aspects, she will focus on color, value, and edge relationships within the paintings. Mary Rose conducts workshops throughout the
Check out www.oconnellfineart.com for more information.
Contact Us
Special Requests Available
For small group tours, we can customize an itinerary to emphasize your interests. If you have a special request, send us a message, and we will be sure to get back to you soon.
WHILE WE CERTAINLY DO NOT EXPECT IT, TOURS CAN BE CANCELLED BY ST. GEORGE TOUR COMPANY AT ANYTIME FOR ANY REASON. If this happens we will refund all of your advanced payments.
St George Touring Company
512 West Ocotillo Way, Ivins, UT, USA 84738
(661)373-1103 Kim@stgeorgetourcompany.com KimUtah123@gmail.com
Hours by Appointment
Open today | 09:00 am – 05:00 pm |
