From the desert landscape and warm temperatures in cities like Tucson and Phoenix, to the forests and cool weather of northern towns like Sedona and Flagstaff, the state of Arizona has an unrivaled and diverse beauty. Beginning January 5, Mountain Trails Gallery, located in the Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village in Sedona, highlights this diversity in the show Arizona Inspires: A Celebration of Creatives.Around 50 artists come together to showcase the glory of all things Arizona in painting, sculpture and mixed media works.
Michelle Condrat, River Lookout, oil, 11 x 14"
“We are thrilled to celebrate artists who are proud to call Arizona home, and we are delighted to showcase artists who often come here for inspiration,” says gallery director, Julie R. Williams. “Energized by our deserts, mountains, canyons and history, these gifted and imaginative artists tell the stories of Arizona’s natural beauty, its rich tribal heritage, the spirit of ranching, as well as the variety of wildlife that keeps calling creatives to fully realize their voice in this amazing place…”
Gregory Stocks, Sunny Sedona, oil, 24 x 30"
Williams also shares that Arizona Inspires will be set up according to a series of features, highlighted each Friday during the months of January and February. Artists are grouped together to show common bonds and the individual nature of each artist. For instance, artists Shawn Cameron and Deborah Copenhaver Fellows—the first to be featured during the opening reception on Friday, January 5, from 4 to 7 p.m.—will share their experiences with Arizona ranching in their chosen mediums of paint and bronze.
Artists like Michelle Condrat, will be featured on Friday, February 16, for the Contemporary Landscapes from the Grand Canyonseries, alongside Marcia Molnar, based in Prescott. “Arizona is much like my home state of Utah,” Condrat says. “It holds some of the most beautiful and unique landscape formations and scenery that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. Arizona has very dry desert air which allows for unfiltered and spectacular colors throughout the landscape and sky…The Arizona landscape also has features which lend itself well to my painting style. Most of my brushstrokes are made up of vertical and horizontal lines, which are similar to layers of red rock like what you would see at the Grand Canyon or Sedona...”
Sue Krzyston, Subtle Reflections, oil, 20 x 24"
One of Condrat’s show paintings, River Lookout, is an image from her favorite places to paint while at the Grand Canyon, known as Mohave Point. “I love painting there because it always has spectacular sunsets and a wonderful view of the river below,” she says. “I like including the river in my paintings as a way of paying homage to what it created. Without the river flowing and cutting its way through the rock over the years, we wouldn’t have the Grand Canyon.”
Shawn Cameron, April’s Child, oil, 12 x 9"
From the gallery’s Artifacts of Beauty series, highlighted on Friday, February 2, is the work of Sue Krzyston, based in Phoenix and inspired by her desert surroundings. She says of her show piece Subtle Reflections, “I was inspired by the burnished, glowing beauty of this Santa Clara pot which is a part of my collection. The surface of the pottery takes on the colors and soft reflections of whatever is placed near it. I chose to keep the composition simple, so I selected these beautifully patterned moccasins and complimentary toned blanket, also from my collection, to be reflected in the pot. I added the colorful peppers for a touch of life to complete the arrangement.”
Celebrate with Mountain Trails Gallery through February 29, with each Friday highlighting a different perspective of Arizona’s vibrant allure. Call or visit the gallery website for additional information. —
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