Arizona is a place like no other. From the warm rusty reds of Sedona, to the chiseled rock faces of the Grand Canyon, to the iconic saguaro cactus, the Southwest—and Arizona in particular—is mesmerizing. And while the idea of that awe-inspiring Arizona sunset seems almost cliché, the sheer beauty of it is no less real. Arizona Creates: From the Dramatic to the Sublime, a new show at Mountain Trails Gallery Sedona shines a light on Arizonan artists as well as those inspired by its qualities. 
Marcia Molnar, Cloud Dance, oil, 36 x 24”Featuring paintings, sculpture and mixed media by 20 artists, the exhibition captures a range of elements that make up Arizona, including desert landscape scenes, depictions of Native American culture, cowboys, wildlife and more.
Michelle Condrat’s artwork in the show stems from her trip to the Grand Canyon during the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art this past September. “This year’s event was unlike any other, particularly because of the weather,” says Condrat, who’s participated in the event for seven years. “It had extreme weather that ranged from warm sunny days to sudden downpours of rain and hail, to wind and rainbows…While I was there, I took a lot of photo references and made mental notes about the colors and compositions that I was seeing before me…The Southwest, and Arizona in particular, is a place unlike any other in the world!”
Michelle Condrat, Drifting Into Slumber, oil, 12 x 24"
Linda Glover Gooch, Summer Clouds, oil, 9 x 12”
Cloud Dance, by Marcia Molnar, features grand, geometric clouds that sweep across the entire sky. “Arizona landscapes possess overwhelming beauty. Canyons and skies are big drama and pure poetry,” says Molnar. “My creative process feels magical, I don’t really know where it comes from except to say that it is inspired by all that is Arizona.”
The varied and magnificent scenery of the state is a constant joy for plein air painter Susanne Nyberg. She says, “One can admire the stately saguaros of the low deserts, the dramatic sunset light on red rock mountain cliffs, the rare and lush riparian oases, and the snow-covered peaks of the high country. There’s always an exciting scene waiting to be captured on canvas.” 
Susanne Nyberg, Yavapai Point, oil, 8 x 10”Linda Glover Gooch’s painting Summer Clouds was inspired by a late summer day in which the sky was filled with fluffy cumulus clouds, brought upon by monsoon season. “For me,” she says, “it’s not always about depicting the exact location as it is about creating a scene for my viewer to experience, draw out of them an emotion, a memory or just a moment in time.”
Arizona Creates: From the Dramatic to the Sublime runs from January 6 to 31. Approximately 30 works will be on display. —
Powered by Froala Editor
