IAAA - History - Las Vegas Workshop 2025

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IAAA History

Las Vegas Workshop 2025

Left to right: Jon Ramer, Marilynn Flynn, Mike Mackowski, Dan Holmes, Amy Nelson, Jeff Zugale, JoAnn Davy, Ken Davy, Rick Sternbach. Not seen: Patty Heibel - joined the workshop later

Attendees

Jon Ramer
Marilynn Flynn
Mike Mackowski
Dan Holmes (son Dylan & friend Amy Nelson)
Jeff Zugale
JoAnn Davy
Ken Davy
Rick Sternbach.
Patty Heibel (husband Jim)

Rick Sternbach:

Over the course of five days, eight intrepid IAAA members explored the geological wonders surrounding Las Vegas, Nevada. From March 17-21, bracketed by an incoming and outgoing day, workshop organizer and IAAA past president Jon Ramer led our group through the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Big Dune in the Amargosa Valley, and Valley of Fire State Park. We were headquartered at the Santa Fe Station Hotel & Casino.

Geology-based workshops such as this have traditionally provided space artists with planetary analogues to inspire artwork in various styles, from impressionistic to photoreal, and end uses like decoration and display, as well as scientific visualization for print publication, television and film, and planetarium exhibits.

Fortunately, the ongoing chaos in the federal government did not have any visible effect on park operations, particularly Red Rock Canyon, and the numbers of cars and visitors felt substantial. Hiking, taking lots of photos, and even painting a bit in the field filled up the five days. But I’ll let a few of our Unherdable Cats tell their stories.

Jon Ramer:

I’m a bit of a weird geology nut and I’ve been hiking the amazingRed Rock and Valley of Fire parks for more than 10 years. I really wanted to show the incredibly varied and colorful geology of these parks to my fellow IAAA artists. In fact, I’ve pitched this workshop since before Covid, so I’m glad some folks finally got to come out and see it!

The weather started off a bit misty and cloudy on day one but then cleared up into glorious cool blue skies and sunshine by lunch time and stayed that way for the rest of our adventures. Red Rock park was about 30 minutes from the group hotel. The first two days went by in a flash as we hiked the interesting terrain in Red Rock. The textures on the walls and rocks were just amazing, with layers of colors literally transitioning from one color to another in a cut line. Some areas had swirls of color while others had alternating lines and still others had big polka-dot like splotches. I even found a spot where all three were in view and got a great photo. What’s really cool about Red Rock (besides the obvious colors and formations) is that the structures in RR are from the same layering that form the colorful formations we saw in Death Valley. The layers dive underground in RR then pop back up a hundred plus miles to the west.

Dan Holmes:

Monday met up with the group, and went to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Stopped at the Visitor Center for some stickers and patches, and found some jewelry for my wife (it will be our 28th wedding anniversary on the 24th!). The wind was blowing pretty hard, and I realized that I probably wasn’t going to get any painting in. No worries, today’s going to be an exploration day. And explore we did. Parked at Calico Hills Overlook, and fell in love with all the sandstone formations. Spent some time there, then went the Calico I parking lot and walked part of the Calico Tanks trails. Lunch was at the Calico II parking lot, complete with the Orange Food Ceremony. We walked the other section of the Calico Tanks trails. Very windy, nearly got blown off a few of the larger rocks we climbed. It was fascinating to see such different terrain in such a short span – the overlook had very smooth sandstone, the Calico I area had a lot more stuff growing in the area, and the Calico II trails had a lot more actual sand than dirt. The colors were different in each area too. I was glad we didn’t setup to paint much, I didn’t pack enough reds! After that, it was a short scenic drive to the White Rock Trail and saw a few petroglyphs.

Mike Mackowski:

This was my third IAAA workshop, and these gatherings are always fun, no matter the size of the group or the destination. I had a 5½ hour drive from Phoenix, and arrived Monday night, figuring four days would be plenty. The hotel room at Santa Fe Station was comfortable, but I’m not a fan of the noise and smoky stench of the casino area. Previous workshops featured a common room for socializing or presentations, but nothing affordable could be had at the casino. I think that would have made for a more fulfilling workshop.

The drives to and from the excursions allowed some time to get to know some of the other participants a bit better. The hikes and lunches in the field were also great socializing opportunities. After living in Arizona for over 25 years, I’ve seen some cool desert landscapes, but the locations we visited near Las Vegas were unique.

The Red Rock Canyon area had a wide variety of geologic features. Tuesday’s outing had us visit Rainbow Mountain, which true to its name had distinctive colorful layers crossing the top third of the peak. Nestled between Rainbow and its neighbor to the south was an inviting valley with trails that would have to go unexplored, at least by our group. But it made for some nice photo and sketching opportunities. I stuck to my now-standard technique of line drawings treated with watercolor paint or watercolor pencils, depending on the subject or my mood. I was happy with how they came out, even though the majority were just in a 4x6 watercolor sketchbook. The second stop was at “Calico Basin”, a small scrubby buff-colored gulley nestled against a tall sloping wall of red rock, with a layer of tan dramatically slapped on top.

Dan Holmes:

Tuesday was back to the other areas of Red Rock Canyon, White Oak trail. Dylan found a skull of some small animal, and carried his new totem back to the truck. Jon showed us Moki Marbles, little pebbles that will eventually break off from larger rocks that make almost perfect spheres. At one of the trail markers, several of us broke out the sketchbooks and paints to record the area. Then back to the truck for lunch. We then broke into several groups back to areas we had been to paint more. Marilynn and I found some rocks with a pool of water, while Dylan and some others walked the trails again.

Mike Mackowski:

Wednesday was a visit to Big Dune, just past the turnout toDeath Valley where we visited two years ago. The spartan accommodations (i.e., none) at Big Dune necessitated a stop at the “Area 51” snack-gas-gift shop at the turnout. We passed on a visit to the “alien cat-house” but did use the facilities and picked up some suitable souvenirs.

Arriving at the dunes one is faced with unmarked and vague tracks across an ocean of sand and scrub. We drove as far as we dared, not wanting to get caught in a slippery trench of soft sand. With our caravan of four vehicles a bit scattered, I parked and walked a bit further looking for a bit of shade. The scrubby bushes were too small to offer much protection from the sun. We had some high thin clouds and pleasant temperatures, so I found a place to set up my portable chair and start some sketching. On my walk I noticed that Dan Holmes’ truck had a visitor – a large ostrich, who was pecking at the occupants thru the vehicle’s windows. Jon Ramer was still outside the truck, apparently trying to keep some distance from the critter.

Jon Ramer:

Immediately everyone piled back into Dan’s vehicle, fillingevery seat, and leaving one person “stranded” outside – me! The ostrich walked right up to the vehicle and started tapping on the driver-side window, I guess looking for food. That told me the ostrich was most likely an escapee from a local farm, as wild ostriches don’t know what windows are! He started circling around the pickup, so I circled around in the same direction. At one point I said, “Hey Rick! He’s the Reliant – I’m the Enterprise!” and I “officially” dubbed him “Khan” or “Ostrikhan.”

Mike Mackowski:

I was just getting set up and starting to sketch the dunes, when I turned around and was nose to nose with a six-foot-plus bird. Knowing that these creatures can be aggressive, I decided to back off and give it some space. My backpack was still on the ground and the ostrich started pecking at it, but did it no damage. Bored with that, it turned towards me and seemed to be staring at the top of my head. So I tossed my hat a few feet and the bird took the bait. It played with the hat for several minutes, tossing it around and pecking (not really biting) at it. That gave me a chance to collect my stool and pack and make a retreat.

Jon Ramer:

That convinced me Khan wasn’t a threat so I decided to head off to climb the Big Dune – all 450 feet of it, unfortunately all by myself. It was a fairly gentle hike until I got to where the soft sand was at about a good 30 degree slope. I’d take three steps up and slide back at least one. I got about halfway up when I realized I wasn’t alone in my climb, Khan was following me! We paced each other for quite a bit, I’d climb some then have to rest (tough climb!), and he’d wait next to me.

Mike Mackowski:

Later we gathered tomake lunch. Of course we were joined by an ostrich there. Thinking it might be hungry or thirsty, we offered it food (bread, fruit) and water but it did not seem interested. I think it just wanted to play, or perhaps was just curious. After the trip I phoned a farm store in the area and they confirmed there are a couple of ostrich farms in the Amargosa Valley. Escaped or wandering birds are not uncommon, per their remarks. Certainly an ostrich encounter was not on the itinerary, but it certainly was a highlight of the trip.

Dan Holmes:

The initial ostrich did try to eat Mike’s hat, and the lining out of my jacket. So I threw some water on it, and it finally left. Dylan and I broke out my ham radio, made a few contacts, others sketched, and others hiked the dune. Then we piled into the truck, and went back to the other cars on harder dirt (I’ve got a little experience in sand driving so was comfortable going another 1/4 mile or so closer). Another ostrich appeared while we were having lunch! This one was a little more aggressive, and tried to get shoelaces, hoodie strings, etc. I saw it eye my toes in my sandals, so I decided to give it a wide berth. Then back into the truck, and we stopped at Tule Springs Fossil beds.

Rick Sternbach:

Jon’s adventure with the ostrich up on the dune involved a few close encounters and a head pat, after which the bird headed away, and Jon descended to meet up with the group again. We think that the second ostrich was different, based on the feathers and coloration. By the way, I managed to recover Mike’s hat and return it to him.

Dan Holmes:

Thursday was the first of two days at Valley of Fire. First stopwas the visitor center for the required stickers and patches. I took the opportunity to test out satellite messaging on my iPhone. I was impressed at how easy it was to use. Then we started up the Mouse Tanks trail. Around the corner in the next parking lot was Rainbow Vista, with a neat arch and overlook of Fire Canyon. Rainbow Vista was aptly named, every color was represented in the rock and sandstone. I tried to capture the colors with my camera, and it was just too much. I took notes, and might be able to recreate with some pigments. Lunch and further hiking at Fire Canyon overlook, with another explosion in colors. Then to the White Domes area, and painted Striped Rock. I had a great view with perfect sunlight, but by the time I had selected my spot and setup, the sun was behind the rock and I lost the contrast. Such is the life of a plein air painter.

Mike Mackowski:

Thursday and Friday were spent exploring Valley of Fire statepark. At this point, we tried to spend more time doing art and less time hiking. My first impressions were that this location had similarities to Sedona, Arizona. Both are spectacular, but the Nevada park has more variety of colors (not just red rocks) and more extreme erosion. Much of the rocky landscape is pot-marked with holes and hollows and small arch formations. Adjacent rock layers of distinctly different color lay right on top of each other, and the vistas cross more open desert than the tight confines of Sedona’s Oak Creek valley. The Valley of Fire also featured numerous petroglyph panels, transmitting mysterious undecipherable messages across the centuries.

Dan Holmes:

Friday was the second day at Valley of Fire, and we came in a different way. Took about the same amount of time, but a much more pleasant drive through Overton and Logandale. Met up with the rest of the group at The 7 Sisters, a rock formation that earns its name. Got some great pics of the accurately named Elephant Rock, then drove to a Civilian Conservation Corp cabin site, which is still in use by backpackers traveling through needing shelter. Lunch was near Atlatl Rock, which had a staircase leading to some petroglyphs. Some of the group left after lunch to travel home, the rest of us went back to 7 Sisters to get one more art session in.

Jon Ramer:

The last two days were my favorites. The colors and formationsof the Valley of Fire are really hard to believe and even harder to describe with words. The photos included here give you a taste but there is nothing like standing in a place where you are completely surrounded by rocks in shades of red, orange, yellow, mauve, purple, pink, white, and even green. Especially when those colors literally change in the space of centimeters. If you ever have the opportunity to go to the Valley of Fire - go there! You will be utterly amazed!

Dan Holmes:

I can’t wait for the next workshop that I can attend. I got anumber of pieces done, a few in process, and enough inspiration for the next few years. I was glad I decided to overpack, with the truck it didn’t matter how much I took, and it was nice to have extra chairs, coolers, even sunshades. Unfortunately with the wind I didn’t get to break out my new field easel, but I did try a new medium for me, gouache. I need to work with it more, but it’s an interesting bridge between oils and watercolors.

Mike Mackowski:

Overall it was a fine workshop, and I would highly encourage anyone who missed it to check out the area on your own if you are ever near Las Vegas.

Jon Ramer:

Friday came too quick and everybody went on their way, hopefully sated with hundreds of photographs of amazing places (I took nearly 500!) and great memories.

Red Rocks Calico Basin - Ken Davy