Mountain Trails Gallery in Sedona, Arizona, proudly showcases approximately 30 works of art by 16 artists for the gallery’s show Animal Nature: Wild & Domestic. As the title suggests, both painting and sculpture will be represented in depictions of animals in both wild and domestic settings. Many noteworthy artists like Shawn Cameron, Raymond Gibby, Jeremy Bradshaw, Jennifer O’Cualain, Tamara Rymer, Sarah Phippen and Deborah Copenhaver Fellows “have fascinating insights and special captures from their own remarkable experiences,” says gallery director Julie R. Williams.
Raymond Gibby, Devotion, bronze, ed. of 20, 12½ x 17 x 13”
Williams also reveals that the show incorporates artists from all walks of life. “From artists who have grown up as ranchers, depending upon animals for their livelihood, to those who simply love nature and seek to share their experiences with others, to those who go to great lengths to be with majestic animals in the wild, our gallery has become a destination for Western wildlife art,” she states.
Shawn Cameron, Just a Pup, oil, 12 x 16”
One such nature lover is artist Raymond Gibby, who likes to sculpt works that show endurance and overcoming trials in wildlife and Western pieces, along with themes from his own life that involve the family dynamic. In bronze show piece Devotion, featuring a family of wolves having a tender moment, Gibby explains, “I have been impressed by the family aspect of the wolf pack. The alpha male and female, as parents, are monogamous and lead the pack in solidarity. The whole pack benefits from the parent’s wisdom of their experience and their physical strength. Each of the other members of the pack know the roles that each must play to provide unity and success…”
Sarah Phippen, My Best Friend, oil, 24 x 36”
Another prominent sculpture artist, Jeremy Bradshaw, who also derives pleasure from natural surroundings, will showcase expressive pieces like Splittin’a Hare, one of the artist’s first sculptures depicting a hare in mid-run. “My main focus with this sculpture was to create an intense sense of speed,” he notes. “Bronze is such a heavy and dense medium that it can be a real challenge to convey motion. The extreme forward position of the hare’s body anchored in the back by the front feet really give a feeling of the piece being lighter than it is and fast in its movement. I also wanted this sculpture to capture the essence of the snowshoe hare’s luxuriantly soft fur with the smooth round shapes.”
Jeremy Bradshaw, Splittin’ Hare, bronze, ed. of 25, 12½ x 22½ x 7½ ”
Collector’s will see domesticated animals as well, captured in oil paintings like Shawn Cameron’s Just a Pup. “[Although this] hound pup is a little different [from my past work], it retains the flavor of what I’m known for—scenes from ranch life,” she says. “I had been at a neighboring ranch years ago when I noticed some young pups. I captured photos which, for years, I kept going back to. I was fascinated by this young walker hound’s personality...even though he was just laying around. He seemed calm yet inquisitive and intelligent. I knew he would grow to travel many miles—learning from others in his pack how to follow a trail and manage rugged terrain. The stories he could tell would be wild and exciting. I had to paint him!”
Mountain Trails Gallery’s delightful show of animal works will open September 2 and hang through September 30. —
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