At first thought one might not think of the West has a vivid and colorful landscape, but it has everything from desert terrain with saguaro cactus blooms and bright sunsets to the striking canyons and waterways. In the annual Colors of the West show at Mountain Trails Gallery in Sedona, Arizona, 20 artists will present new works that highlight the beauty of the region. 
Linda Glover Gooch, Into the Sunset, oil, 8 x 8"
Julie R. Williams, director of the gallery, explains, “Mountain Trails Gallery has been a destination for compelling landscapes, and we are proud to present one of the favorite exhibitions for our collectors. Each autumn season our award-winning artists create paintings that go beyond the colors the eye perceives. Each unique work captures the beauty that makes the colors of the West so vibrant and alive.”
Michelle Condrat, Evening Rays, oil, 20 x 16"
In her painting Evening Rays, Michelle Condrat paints one of the seven natural wonders of the world. “I wanted to use a wide range of bold and bright colors in my painting, because color is the number one thing
I see when I look at the Grand Canyon,” says Condrat. “I wanted to show how the sun can bring out the most beautiful shades and tones as it casts its rays upon the rocks and everything that lives across the canyon.”
Linda Glover Gooch’s painting Into the Sunset is a view looking west toward the sunset during Arizona’s monsoon season, which typically lasts mid-June through the end of September. She explains, “The color of the sky that evening was so amazing and as the sun continued to drop the orange and violets emerged and the foreground became a rich, warm red. So inspiring, it had to become a painting.”
Marcia Molnar, Into the Sun, oil, 36 x 36”
One of Simon Winegar’s recent paintings is They’re Completely Unaware, which is a work that looks beyond the landscape and into the self. “It’s really a commentary on the human condition,” shares the artist. “How we’re sometimes so busy doing things, living life...fulfilling the mechanical necessities of living that we overlook the moments that make life worthwhile.”
Simon Winegar, They’re Completely Unaware, oil, 12 x 24"
Marcia Molnar’s Into the Sun “used so many colors I felt like a little kid with a big box of crayons,” she says. “And truly, this is what painting is all about for me, freedom to do the next thing, color it just as I want and when I’m done, my work will say ‘This is what I loved when I was here.’”
Colors of the West will be on view October 8 through 31. A reception for the show will take place opening night from 4 to 7 p.m. —
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