Artists often find inspiration on the trail. From towering rock formations to sprawling deserts and stunning sunsets, a new exhibition at Mountain Trails Gallery Sedona explores the beauty of nature in the Southwest.
“There is inspiration beyond measure here in Arizona and the West. So many of our landscape artists are hikers, climbers and campers always in search of that special place or time that gets translated into a spectacular painting,” says Julie R. Williams, director of Mountain Trails Gallery Sedona. Among those hikers, climbers and campers in the upcoming show are Marcia Molnar, Simon Winegar, Joshua Been, Betty Carr, Susie Hyer, Gregory Stocks, Susanne Nyberg, Joe Garcia and more. 
Joshua Been, Kaibab Castles, oil, 18 x 18"
“Our collectors have come to know they can begin their search at our gallery to find a work of art that also speaks to them and that brings back a [memory] of their own breathtaking moment at their favorite place,” Williams adds.
Linda Glover Gooch brings to the show a 16-by-16-inch oil titled Sundial Dreams, featuring dazzling sun rays bursting through a cloudy sky. “I was attracted to this sunset due to the designs and patterns that splashed across the sky. Not only were the colors breathtaking but the patterns inspired me,” Gooch reflects. “I replaced the foreground with a peaceful valley scene, including water so I could pull that warm yellow reflection down. Many times, my skies are moved to a different landscape. It’s not so much about copying what’s in front of me but relaying what’s in my heart.”
Susie Hyer, View From Copper Canyon, oil, 11 x 14"
Linda Glover Gooch, Sundial Dreams, oil, 16 x 16"For Hyer, it’s all about hiking the trails of those striking Sedona landscapes. “Their super red rocks in the late afternoon…and dramatic skies certainly speak to me as an artist. It doesn’t matter how many times I visit and paint in Sedona, that late light on the rocks is exciting every time, as if it’s the first time I’ve ever seen it. And to see those turquoise-colored cactuses in the moonlight, you would think they were glowing from within,” she says.
Gregory Stocks, Coffee’s On, oil, 40 x 30"Winegar captures the warm light of daybreak in his oil Desert Sunrise, while Been’s Kaibab Castles depicts the side of a massive cliff that looks as though slabs of rock have been precariously placed atop one another. In Garcia’s Winter Blues, a Steller’s jay surveys a forest floor brushed white with snow.
On the Trail: Landscapes that Speak is a reminder, Mountain Trails Gallery notes, “to go out and enjoy nature.” The show opens on Friday, March 3, with a reception from 4 to 7 p.m. and runs through March 31. —
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