fine art

Hike it Baby 30 - April 2021

Hike it Baby 30 is here! What is this, you ask? It’s a challenge to get outside with your family every day for 30 days during the month of April. Hike it Baby is a nationwide nonprofit that aims to support families with young children to get outside and explore; no matter what that outdoor exploration looks like. Every April and September, they host a 30-day challenge and fundraiser that encourages and supports families getting outside every day for 30 days. Families who join and make a donation get to join a Facebook group where everyone shares their adventures and supports one another. They are also entered into drawings to win prizes from sponsors and everyone who joins the challenge gets a sticker that is unique to that challenge. Adventures can be in your neighborhood, backyard, local park, beach, lake, paved trail, or in the woods or mountains.

It’s been my privilege to get to design the stickers for these fundraisers since late 2017. Last September, I created a sticker that embraced the uniqueness of spring 2020 by showing a city park rather than a remote wilderness. For this April’s challenge, I continued that theme with a city fishing pond. The hammock and fishing pond was where my family spent a lot of our outside time in 2020, so it was special for me to create it in watercolor.

Hike it Baby 30 April Sticker

In addition to the sticker, Hike it Baby had me create a Spring Workbook for participants to use during the challenge. We grabbed some of the activity sheets that I created in the past and added a few new ones along with a spiffy, spring cover. I really love how it turned out.

Hike it Baby 30 Spring Workbook

30 flowers to color for 30 days.

Hike it Baby 30 Spring Workbook
Hike it Baby 30 Spring Workbook
Hike it Baby 30 Spring Workbook

Lastly, we almost always have a t-shirt campaign to go with each HiB30 and this time is no different. I was asked to make our sticker artwork into a t-shirt design that coordinated with previous t-shirt designs and there is a campaign with Bonfire for t-shirts, tote bags, and mugs. Check it out!

I cannot wait to see what we can create for the next Hike it Baby 30 challenge this coming September.

Watercolor Prints are Here!

I’m doing a trial run of selling watercolor prints. I ordered a few and I’ll list them for sale. If there is enough interest and I can get them shipped with little-to-no hiccups, then I will order more and in some larger sizes.

Right now I have these available to order as giclée prints. Giclée is a printing method that ensures vibrant color and fantastic detail using archival inks. These are printed on acid-free, archival paper that has a matte finish and a subtle watercolor texture. I’m really happy with the print quality.

There are only a few available for each of the 5x7 and 8x8 prints. You can order them here or click on any photo and it’ll take you to the link to purchase.

Sundial Peak and Lake Blanche - Brighton, UT

Sundial Peak and Lake Blanche - Brighton, UT

Lower Calf Creek Falls - Boulder, UT

Lower Calf Creek Falls - Boulder, UT

Babylon Arch - Hurricane, UT

Babylon Arch - Hurricane, UT

Coyote Gulch - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Coyote Gulch - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Corona Arch - Moab, UT

Corona Arch - Moab, UT

I have decided that Corona Arch here won’t be available in any print larger than 8x8. The original painting is about 5x5 inches and when enlarged, the stars will start to look weird as they are enlarged too. Someday, I’ll repaint this on larger paper so it can make for a prettier print in bigger sizes.

What should I paint next?? I have a few pretty places on my list from the Uinta Mountains in Utah AND also a few spots in California. Stay tuned.

Stickers For Sale!

Stickers are here! I have created a handful of watercolor paintings of some beautiful places on Utah’s public and BLM lands and I’ve have them made into stickers. Check them out here!

Alex’s Sticker Store

Here’s a rundown on them:

Two arches from Coyote Gulch in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, near Escalante, UT. I so want to go backpacking there next year!

Pioneer Arch at Pioneer Park and part of the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. This park is right in St. George, UT and so much fun to play in. Loads of rocks to climb, a slot canyon for kids and thinner adults to shimmy through, and a pioneer cabin to explore.

Fisher Towers near Moab, UT is really stunning. I’ve heard it’s popular among rock climbers too.

This little waterfall lives on the Red Reef Trail inside Red Cliffs National Conservation Area close to Leeds, UT. It’s a fantastic trail any time of the year, but it’s really special when there’s water in the creek. I will probably paint a couple of other spots on this trail too, it’s so beautiful.

Corona Arch near Moab, UT. This arch lives on BLM land right outside the entrance to Arches National Park. I’ve been to Arches twice and haven’t been able to make it to this massive arch. I hope to next year!

Babylon Arch is the most recent sticker that is currently being printed right now. This is easily one of my favorite trails through gorgeous sandstone cliffs and little canyons. And then when you get to the arch, you’re greeted by lovely views of the Virgin River. It’s pretty awesome.

I’m really proud of how well these turned out and I plan to do at least two more to finish the series at eight stickers… or maybe 10. I haven’t decided yet. There is so much public land in Utah, I think I read that almost 40% of the state is public land; mostly in the south and western parts of the state. I’ve lived here nine years and I’ve only seen a fraction of what’s here.

Once I’m done with public lands paintings, I think I’ll move on to my favorite spots within National Parks. Or maybe I’ll do some of Utah’s state parks? I also have been thinking about making a coloring book that showcases my favorite hikes. Any suggestions?

Hike it Baby 30 - Sept 2020

I had the privilege of creating a watercolor painting for Hike it Baby for their bi-annual fundraiser and challenge. With 2020 being quite a unique year when it comes to pretty much everything, Hike it Baby is aiming to encourage families to simply get outside every day, in any form that works best for them. It was fitting that this sticker depicted a city park.

Alex Tebow Designs.- Hike it Baby 30 Sticker September 2020

I also created a coordinating t-shirt graphic that you can purchase from Bonfire:

Alex Tebow Designs - Hike it Baby 30 T-shirt Design Fundraiser

One of the things that marked a big change for Hike it Baby in 2020 was their elimination of a paid membership model. After becoming an official 501c3 nonprofit company, Hike it Baby looked at different ways they could earn money to stay afloat; especially considering how quickly they were growing. So a few years back, they implemented a $10 annual membership fee to access their website. Wanting to make sure that membership was as inclusive as possible from here on out, they decided that inclusivity meant making Hike it Baby free to everyone.

Of course this means they need to lean on their members more than ever to make sure they have enough funds to stay in business (which is the challenge for most nonprofits). To help boost fundraising efforts for this September’s Hike it Baby 30 Fundraiser, they are offering a poster version of the sticker.

Donate $10 or more starting on September 17th and you will receive a printable 8x10 print via email. My first grader was happy to pose with our print. If you’d like to donate, click here.

Alex Tebow Designs - Hike it Baby 30 Poster Fundraiser

Hike it Baby is an organization that’s near and dear to me. Meeting fellow parents through Hike it Baby is what gave me the confidence to explore local trails with my kids and even get back into camping after a decades-long hiatus. They are really building a great community and want to make sure that the outdoors is accessible to absolutely everyone. I feel so lucky to get to create artwork and graphics for them. Please consider making a donation and joining a Hike it Baby Branch in your community.

Corona Arch Time Lapse

I had a scrap piece of watercolor paper staring at me yesterday and my fingers were itching to paint a starry sky. I have been to Arches National park twice and neither time was I able to explore Corona Arch, which is just outside the park. Maybe next spring??

Alex Tebow Designs - Watercolor Corona Arch

Time lapse video of a watercolor of Corona Arch near Moab, UT. Materials: Daniel Smith Watercolor Paints Pocket Palette: https://art-toolkit.com/products/pal...

I was really happy with how it turned out and I realized I was totally channeling another artist I follow; Nikki Frumkin. She paints beautiful landscapes in the PNW. Go check her out: Drawn to High Places. Nikki, you really need to come and explore southern Utah. The contrast of the red and orange rocks is so amazing against a starry sky with blues and purples.

Alex Tebow Designs - Corona Arch Watercolor

I’m hoping to have a handful of stickers available of my paintings of beautiful spots in Utah’s public lands, so say tuned!!

For anyone interested, here are the materials I used (most of these are affiliate links):

Daniel Smith Watercolor Paints
Pocket Palette from Expeditionary Art
Trekell Watercolor Brushes
daVinci Travel Watercolor Brushes
Grumbacher Masking Fluid
Fluid Cold Press Watercolor Paper
Faber-Castell Pitt Brush Pens