Gallery ARTISTS

come visit our 100 artist's work

Kathy Adis

Gillian Allard

Joyce Andre

Through my paintings, I love to express my passion for nature in an exaggerated style by enhancing what I see.
The fluidity and vibrancy of watercolor help me to achieve that goal. My desire as an artist is to bring my viewer to a higher level of appreciation of the subject matter I am portraying.
I have nourished my talent for art with studies and workshops with nationally recognized watercolor artists including; Cheng Khee Chee, Frank Webb, John Salminen, Thomas Trausch and Eric Weigardt.
My interest in art began as a child. For many years I was an oil painter and have found the medium of watercolor to be fascinating and challenging. My subject matter is varied and can be anything from a desert in bloom, the grandeur of the mountains, a face with character, to the simplicity of a single cactus flower.
I am a Signature Member of the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild. In Arizona and in the Midwest, where I previously lived, my work has been juried into and exhibited in shows, some of which in AZ are: The Desert Museum, Toscana Gallery, venues with the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild, Southern Arizona Arts Guild and the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance.

Corinne Babcock

Jerry Becker

Jerry Becker won his first art award at the age of seven. It was a second place ribbon in an all city art exhibit in Tacoma ,Washington, where he was born on December 17, 1928.
He studied at the Cornish School of Allied Arts and the Derbyshire School of Fine Arts, both in Seattle. Becker is also a musician, playing multiple instruments; the piano organ and drums. Having graduated from the Army Navy School of music’ he was in the 21st Army Band at Ft. Lewis Washington.
Becker has spent a number of years, teaching at Tacoma community College, Ft Steilacoom Community College, Puyallup School District, and the Franklin Pierce School District. He has taught watercolor workshops throughout the Pacific Northwest, California, Arizona, and Texas. He is a member of the Arizona Watercolor Guild, the Whiskey Painters of America, and the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies.
He has won more than 50 awards in juried shows and done over 65 one- man shows, Including a showing at the Fry Art Museum in Seattle. There are numerous collectors In America and abroad.
Artist’s Statement:
I have painted in many different styles, both realistic abstract and semi abstract. I enjoy semi-abstract the most; trying to bring out subject matter in a different way. Stressing the feeling of ambiguous space has always interested me the most. I also enjoy the loose free Realistic landscapes.

Janis Behm

For my 8th grade history project, instead of writing a paper, I built a cardboard replica of the Canterbury Cathedral.
Growing up Des Moines, Iowa, with a father who was a professional artist, meant art supplies and encouragements were always available. I have worked as an artist off and on since graduating as an art major in 1980 from Nebraska’s Concordia University, often freelancing as a graphic artist and illustrator.
Over the past decade I have focused on watercolor and in 2013, was inspired by a book about people who keep sketching journals. I began filling sketchbooks and journals with pen, ink, and watercolor sketches.
In 2015, the University of Arizona Department of Registration and Transcripts (where I worked for 15 years) commissioned five watercolor sketches to enhance their website. Now I’m retired and spend my time documenting life and travels in sketchbooks.
The Hearst Center for the Arts in Cedar Falls in Iowa, featured my watercolor paintings in a family-themed show in summer 2017. I’ve also participated in a show in Oro Valley, where six of my watercolor sketches of the ranch were showcased.

Sherry Blandin

In just 5 years, Sherry Blandin went from a “point and shoot” photographer to a professional photographer photographing the stunning beauty of Arizona.
Born in San Francisco, CA, growing up in Texas, then living in Monterey/ Salinas, CA for 43 years; teaching fourth-graders for 20 years and raising 2 beautiful daughters with her husband, she now resides in Marana, AZ. (That was a mouthful!) She moved to Arizona in 2013 with a new Christmas present—a camera given to her by her hubby. She was coerced into taking some classes by a Canon Rep, knowing full well she was not going to understand the “Dark Side” (All those dials on the camera!!). That didn’t happen…she took to it immediately and was off and running photographing any and everything that had to do with the Sonoran Desert!
She then immersed herself in classes at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Pima College and online. She also has taken classes through Highlands Photo Club where she resides. Her mentor, professional photographer, artist and friend Bill Miller, has been instrumental in her development as a photographer. He was and is the BEST instructor she has EVER had.
She specializes in all things Arizona, but she particularly enjoys capturing animal faces, believing they have a myriad of emotions expressed in their eyes, just as we humans do. Birds count, too!
So, until Sherry was 67, she was a ‘point and shoot’ photographer. She was then given the tools to expand her world and begin a very satisfying spiritual journey of capturing the beauty of the desert through her eyes. She continues to learn how to capture her interpretation of the desert.
‘the divine in me see the divine in you”
--Namaste

Lee Boojamra

Metal Artist | SaddleBrooke,AZ
Creating silver and gold jewelry is more constructive than lying on a psychiatrist’s couch -- for me, anyway.
As a metal artist and designer, I view jewelry as a three-dimensional wearable art. Yes, you can hang it on a wall or you can hang it on any part of your body, which has been done since the 17th century. I have been silversmithing for 20 years and have been inspired by designers, who have a background in architecture and engineering.
Lately, since the world has become increasingly complicated and chaotic – I’ve entered a new phase of metal design, which I call minimalism. Consider Plato’s argument, non-physical (but substantial) forms or ideas represent the most accurate reality. Thus, I’m incorporating additional basic geometric forms in my designs, along with the idea of the forms reflecting aspects of my environment, past, and present.

JKay Borland

Joe Bourne

Joe Bourne is an award winning vocalist, well known in European circles for what he has achieved in the popular, light music genre. He always seems to capture the audience with his own style and warm mellifluous light baritone, voice and his dynamic showmanship.
Joe is a popular performer in the Tucson area as well as around the states and abroad.
However the roots of this talented singer / entertainer are anchored deeply in the Jazz, blues and spiritual music. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he was inspired by many of the big names of Jazz that toured the Boston area.
While performing on the German cruise ship MS Europa as it sailed between Manaus, Brazil and Cape Town, South Africa, Joe was “bit” by the painting bug after attending a class in watercolors. Since then, he has attended several artists' workshops and created many paintings in watercolors, acrylics and encaustics - a painting style that uses hot beeswax and resin.
The paintings are mostly influenced by his concert travels around the world, and he derives new inspiration from the forms and rhythms of our big Southwestern skies, mountains and deserts. His art is often embellished with unique finds, such as copper splashes, metal tubing, gemstones and various papers.

Kevin Brougher

Karen Brungardt, D.O.

Watercolor Artist
Karen received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974 from Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. However, when she graduated, although she’d had a lot of fun in college, she found she didn’t have much to offer to the job market. She became a secretary for an insurance adjusting firm because she did have secretarial skills and continued dabbling in art as a hobby.
Karen moved to Kansas City, Missouri in 1975 and became a field claims adjuster for a few years. In 1977, she decided she hated that job and applied to the University of Missouri in Kansas City to attend the Masters of Art program. She was accepted and did one year toward her Master’s degree in art.
She then decided to go to Medical School instead--that paid better than being a starving artist. Karen received her D.O. degree in 1985 from the Kansas City College of Osteopathic Medicine, interned at Lakeside Hospital, and then moved to Wyoming in 1986 where she was in Family Practice for 16 years.
In college, Karen’s art interests were in oil painting, etchings and pencil drawings. While in Family Practice, she started taking watercolor classes (they were much quicker to do in her limited time off) and she fell in love with that medium.
She and her husband, Larry, moved to Saddlebrooke in 2002 to have fun, play bridge and be involved with the Art world in Saddlebrooke and elsewhere.
Since then, she has concentrated on painting in watercolors and continues taking classes while teaching Beginning Watercolor to students. She is currently President of the Saddlebrooke Fine Arts Guild and is involved with the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild. She also has her work currently displayed in the Absolutely Art Gallery in Catalina on Oracle. Not only has she attained Signature Member status with SAWG, she has earned the Saguaro Fellow level, the highest level of achievement available in the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild.

Dick Bynum

Dick Bynum Biography
After retiring from a career as a College Professor Richard Bynum moved to SaddleBrooke, AZ where he found many instructional opportunities to further his interests in oil painting, pottery and sculpting.
In 2007, he began taking oil painting classes from Wanda Tucker. He has also taken classes from Laurie Brussel (Drawing), Cindy Taylor (Composition and Light), Carol Ann (Composition), Titus Castanza (Portrait & Landscape), and Loretta Sprigings (Portrait & Landscape). These learning experiences have provided the opportunity to develop painting skills as well as the enjoyment of self-expression through art.
Growing up in New Mexico, he was always inspired by the high desert vistas, and southwestern plants and animals. His current work has been most influenced by Matt Smith, Tony Pro, Titus Castanza and Andrew Tischler. He is currently a member of the SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild where he enjoys painting with other artists.
At about the same time Richard Bynum also became interested in Native American pottery. He has studied under Dora Tse-Pe Pena, a well-known Native American potter who currently resides in the San Ildefanso Pueblo. He has also studied under several potters from Mata Ortiz, namely Nicolas Quezada and his two sons, Leonel and Jose Quezada and Oralia Lopez. The majority of work has been in making pottery using the hand coil method, and recently he has been exploring sculpting. His pottery making has been greatly influenced by many Native American potters and he has focused on the grace of line and shape that is both functional and artistic. He is currently a member of the SaddleBrooke Pottery Club where he practices his art and teaches classes in making hand coiled pottery.

Bruce Capra

Born in Denver, Colorado, Bruce started his art career in the screen printing business as an apprentice to Gene Licht in New York.
Capra quickly became a master screen printer. He screen printed works of art for such notable artists as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Earl Biss, Rance Hood and many others.
Capra attended the Foothills Institute of Art in Golden, CO. He studied under Greg Wilhelmi, an associate educator at the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver. Capra also attended the Missouri Auction and Appraisal School. As a fine art auctioneer for over 40 years, he has conducted over 1,000 fine art auctions around the world.
Capra has been represented in many galleries around the country and his works can be found in both private and corporate collections.
He has studied the approaches of many artists; however Kandinsky, Dali, Miro, Disney and the Impressionists have all had the utmost influence on his art. He starts a painting with several vibrant lush colorful brush strokes. As it progresses, the painting almost like “magic” finds its own direction and what it communicates.

Annette Cicconetti

Roger Clark

Jacqueline Cohen

Arizona artist, Jacqueline Cohen, is known for her dynamic, acrylic paintings, captivating photos, and original handmade jewelry.
Born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Indiana, Jacqueline began honing her artistic talents at an early age. Continuing her art studies throughout high school, she received several honors including representing her school as one of two participates in the Ball State Workshop for Young Artists. Also, during this period, she attended painting classes at the renowned Chicago Art Institute. After graduating from Indiana University, Bloomington, with a BS in Art Education with an emphasis in painting and photography, Jacqueline taught secondary and adult art classes for a period, until moving to Arizona.
Upon her arrival in Phoenix in 1980, Jacqueline became a Senior Publications Specialist, Senior Writer for Motorola and General Dynamics, where she wrote and created diverse media for more than twenty-five years.
A resident of SaddleBrooke since 2009, Jacqueline is a member of the SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild. Her works have been exhibited throughout Arizona, including juried shows sponsored by distinguished Arizona art clubs, such as SAWG, CASA, the Tucson JCC’s Jewish Artists group and venues such as the Flagstaff Art Walk. She is extremely proud to be one of the many talented artists featured at Absolutely Art Gallery & Gifts.

Rose Collins

Rose moved to Tucson in 1998 after retiring from the field of psychology.
She began painting and over the years developed a unique style of art that is blazingly evident in the work she creates. With her deep understanding of human interactions she adds a palpable level of conscious reality and complete honesty to her wildlife creations. She is self-taught as an artist and always challenging herself she has evolved into a recognized artist who uses color and graphic design to create her one of a kind wildlife and southwest paintings.
• Society of Animal Artists: 1/20/2021 – Present
• Jane Hamilton Fine Art: 2016-2021
• Mary Williams Fine Art, Boulder, CO. WAOW Show 7/6-8/30/2019
• National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, OK City: 2019 Small Works Great Wonders Art Show
• SouthWind Gallery, Topeka, KS “Daughters of the West Art Show”
• Cowgirl Up Woman Artist’s oof the West 2017
• Mountain Oyster Western Art Show from 2013-2017
• Tracy Miller Art Gallery 2014-2018

Tom Costner

Because we all tend to look at what is in front of us, the best photograph may be behind us.
My first camera in childhood was a Kodak Brownie that I aimed at anything my eye found interesting.
With a camera always in hand, I pause wherever I am to capture fleeting moments – beautiful flowers, rolling landscapes, unique sunsets at last light, surprise appearances of wildlife, and special moments celebrating life.
My photography experience includes owning an advertising agency and commercial photography studio, as well as holding the role of Director of Marketing Communications for a Fortune 400 corporation. During these years, my technical expertise and eye for photography continued to develop.
These experiences support a transition to the world of digital photography and have enabled me to photograph nuances of light, composition, and color. To me, the use of advanced digital software compares to the artist and his palette of paints.
As a 30-year member of the American Society of Media Photographers, I studied side-by-side with some of New Jersey and New York’s best photographers. I’ve also studied with Jay Maisel and Al Satterwhite in New York, as well as Sinar Bron, the world leader in photographic lighting.

Rebecca Davey

Claudia Denne

Lori DeSaro

SUSAN DINGA

“I love the whole process of photography – the seeing, the feeling, the creating, and the sharing.
For me, it is meditative, whether in the field or in my studio. My camera is like a companion sharpening my seeing – light, lines, shapes, details, - whether a sweeping landscape or the tiny swirl of a petal. Magic happens when my eye and heart are drawn to something. I find joy in close observation. I am challenged to capture what moved me and to create an image that communicates that feeling to the viewer. Learning and opportunities for creativity are endless. I am striving to be an artist who uses photography as my medium.
With the advent of my “Sending a Little Bit of Love” notecards and new outlets for selling my images, I feel honored when those who purchase and send the cards feel they are spreading some love and joy in the world. The profits from my sales have gone to a Covid project on the Navajo reservation and the Southern Arizona Food Bank. As the Covid project ended, they will continue to go to the food bank in the foreseeable future.
Susan Dinga was born in NYC. She lived many years on a Spanish-speaking island in the Caribbean where she developed her first passion for photography using a Nikonos II underwater camera capturing the underwater world. She moved to Arizona about 5 years ago from California, where she became involved with a camera Club of great photographers who re-ignited her interest in photography and were very instrumental in helping her hone her skills.

Julie Edmonson Bio

Like many potters I got my first taste of the potter's wheel in college at Northern Arizona University.
I knew immediately that I loved it. My career as a social worker and two children later required that I put my love for pottery in a box. Now 35 years later I am back at the potter's wheel and loving it.
My inspiration for my pieces has always been Mother Nature. I love how perfectly imperfect nature is. The Japanese call it Wabi-sabi.
In my latest series of pieces I am combining wood with my clay. Last year my inspiration was flowers and hummingbirds. My husband of 50 years, and I love to go on adventures in the mountains and I always look for treasures that I can incorporate into my work.
As Vincent Van Gogh once said: "If you truly love Nature you will find beauty everywhere".

Stacy Egan

Stacy discovered her passion for drawing and painting relatively late in life, after taking an early retirement from a 22-year career in physics and engineering.
Almost entirely self-taught, art has become a channel to express her life-long romance with nature and the life within it. She has always loved to be in the great outdoors, whether it to day hike, backpack, water ski, river raft, rock climb, scuba dive, camp, or just take a simple walk in a desert, beach, or forest.
In 2005 she began to incorporate photography, then on-location ink and watercolor sketching, into her outdoor activities, and these rich experiences and resources now inform her studio work.
She is currently an urban sketching and watercolor instructor at the Art Verve Academy in Tucson, Arizona. Her work is featured in local rock climbing guide publications.

Jeanne Fellow

Jeanne has been experimenting with various two and three dimensional art forms for over 30 years.
Initially she focused on traditional drawing and painting processes. Due to her experimental nature, she quickly moved into creating innovative techniques in her art forms. For the past 14 years, she has chosen to create with acrylic inks because of the rich, luminous color palette and other unique qualities not available with traditional watercolor or acrylic paints.
In 2011, Jeanne developed a technique of lighting her painted paper sconces with LED bulbs and created what she calls – “LumenArt” which are table lamps with bases. She then developed other innovative techniques to sculpt the painted paper into “wall sculptures” in a variety of different forms and she discovered ways to light the wall sculptures with LED bulbs. She has entitled these “Inspired Artscapes”.
Jeanne applies her creativity to her original artwork and also to innovative solutions to improve her product quality, such as incorporating the use of a 3-D printed Lucite base for the Mini LumenArts.
Early in her career, after earning a Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in art, she taught elementary school. During that time, she developed and taught an innovative weekly art program for 300 students from ages 8-13 to develop their creativity through providing a stimulating environment and a variety of resources.
Jeanne has participated in many different local Southern Arizona art venues since 2011.
Jeanne’s personal art philosophy: Art continues to be transformational for me! I’ve not only learned to color outside the lines, I continue to learn how to live outside the proverbial BOX.

Judith Fishback

I have been sculpting since childhood, beginning with Ivory soap and a jackknife at age eight.
Since mastering permanent media, I have enjoyed working with earthy substances such as terra cotta and wood. Prior to moving to Tucson, Arizona, my prize-winning bronzes were galleried for several years in Flagstaff, Prescott, and Sedona. Now, my chosen medium is desert detritus of all sorts. The evolved creatures are collectively called Desemals, however each one has its own human name. They name themselves as I create.
The primary bodies of Desemals are most often made of pods, seeds or the dry fruit of cacti. Heads, limbs, and other protrusions can be made of virtually anything in our generous desert. Bases are often created from Cholla or Saguaro cactus, but may also include Ironwood, Hackberry, Greasewood, Mesquite, Palo Verde, Ash, Willow, Juniper, Walnut, Cypress, Pepper, Catclaw, and/or other types of wood. Sometimes rocks are found in a wash or in the wild and I utilize these in my pieces in conjunction with the other substances.

Sheryl Franklin

Sheryl is from colorful Western Colorado and has resided in Mesa, AZ for the past twelve years.
She began to explore oil painting in the 80's and found herself drawn to the colors and drama of the southwest. Along the way, Sheryl experimented with water colors, pastels and acrylics, studying with numerous artists and attending classes and workshops.
Constantly evolving, her passion for art is creating one of a kind expressionistic paintings and mixed media pieces. Her work has been shown in many juried shows and in galleries in Pinetop, Mesa, and Tucson.
She recently joined Absolutely Art Gallery & Gifts as an exhibiting artist and loves being a part of the creative environment offered in this beautiful gallery.

Eric Galbreath

Michael & Jan Galyen

Judy Gans

Judy has long been curious about why she finds something beautiful… why a particular painting or sculpture or scene in nature for that matter works visually, and that curiosity informs her artistic expression.
She fell in love with the Sonoran desert when she moved to Tucson 15 years ago… the adaptations of the plants and animals that allow them to thrive in a harsh climate, the palate rendered by the clear air, the rugged mountains, and the hidden treasures that emerge whenever there is water.
Ceramics, with its materials derived from the earth and the blazing atmosphere inside the kiln, is uniquely suited to forms that are inspired by nature and the Sonoran desert. The textures, forms, and complex colors found in nature inspire her sculptural work and functional pieces.

Pam Gappa

Pam grew up surrounded by art and artists all around her.
Her father’s career and personal interests was in the world of art. She was always encouraged to be creative. Her mother was a seamstress who eventually opened a Gift Shop in St. Paul, MN. Her brother has metal art displayed in the Gallery.
Pam chose to study art as her major in college, pursued a career in the travel industry, and became a practicing artist after leaving travel.
Her travel career began as a travel agent and ended with her managing Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s franchise division. She loved travel and her position with Carlson Wagonlit Travel made is easy for her to explore exciting places, in many parts of the world. The experiences of these many people and places became etched in her memory. After retiring from the travel industry, Pam married and moved to Houston, TX where she was able to spend quality time raising her son with her husband, Bob.
How did they end up in Tucson? Pam’s father retired to Tucson and Pam & Bob fell in love with the desert and the climate Tucson has to offer. After moving to SaddleBrooke, she met 2 friends who introduced her to fused glass. The rest is history. Pam loves a wide range of colors and shapes and how glass provides a great opportunity to be creative. With glass, there are really no limits and it is fun to create new designs and techniques. Her artwork is whimsical and fun.
Pam is the owner of Absolutely Art Gallery & Gifts. She is delighted at the reception the local community has had to the gallery. New artists are added to the gallery frequently and the artwork changes all the time.
Pam says: “Art is very personal and our goal is to have something for everyone to enjoy and appreciate. We want you to have fun when visiting Absolutely Art Gallery & Gifts. We hope our customers will find wonderful items to make them smile and even laugh at their uniqueness. Of course, we hope our customers tell others about us and return frequently.”

Bob Gellatly

Bob spend his working career as a Plant Engineer at a Printing Plant. When he retired, he and his wife, Karin, moved to Bellingham, Washington.
Bob is not one to sit and be idle, he soon discovered that he had to do something rather than be “retired”. He began refurbishing homes, which he thoroughly enjoyed.
Bob says that he has always “enjoyed building stuff”. He has a love for woodworking and feels that may be due to the many varieties and movement in the wood. Bob built a wooden Runabout Boat, even casting all the metal components himself.
Moving to Tucson in 2012 provided Bob an opportunity to continue his love of woodworking. He is always exploring new ideas and is very creative. Bob has also helped build many of the stands in Absolutely Art Gallery & Gifts.

Robyn Gerard

Saunda & Marty Getraer

Jason Goldstein

Jason is a photographer based out of Tucson, Arizona.
He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Multimedia Cinematic Production from Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is there he further learned photography and film.
The style of photography is Photoshop, aerial, landscape and portraits. Jason also has a background in video as well working on the CBS television show Hawaii 5-0 and local Tucson projects like The Tiny House Movie and That 80’s Guy.
His hobbies include flying drones and working on Photoshop photography. Jason has displayed at several locations in Tucson.

Connie Gorham

Connie Gorham is a self-taught artist with her natural skill enhanced by some formal training.
She has had a lifelong love of painting and is most inspired by her natural surroundings. Utah born, she has called many places across America home; each of which has instigated a different conceptual take on her composition. While it was her later-in-life move to rural Idaho that kindled her most prolific period, it was her move to Arizona that ignited it. The color palette of the desert as well as the wildlife it contains makes her feel as though she is living in a “Seussian” dreamscape.
She paints in free-style and selects her subject as much with her heart as she does with her eyes. She believes that animals can touch one’s soul in a way nothing else can and she tries to capture that spirit in her work. She finds that the resulting piece is often secondary to the emotions felt at the beginning of the process. As the painting emerges from the canvas, she is attempting to hone in on the unique essence of the animal to express its soul. Each brushstroke becomes about creating oneness with the animal and peace within herself. As much as painting can affect her emotions, her emotions can affect the painting and so, in moments when she can’t achieve zen, she puts down the brush. She believes her emotions are imbued in the painting and it is her desire only to create work that lives on with good Juju.

John Grandner

Donna Hancock

Sharen Harris

Sue Hedrick

Lynda Hassett

I love to paint with watercolor because of the freshness and mingling of colors.
It really is exciting to start a journey with a picture, flow thru the “ugly” stage and make it into a piece of art.
As artists, we never stop learning and I took many classes at Mendocino College and to this day with Professional artists. I have won several Best of Shows, Firsts, Poster Contests and People’s Choice Awards.
I hope you enjoy my paintings and many are from my travels, which inspire me to paint even more!

Harriet Hason

Sculptural Clay Art
Often, my best ceramic tools are my hands.
The visual arts have always been my passion and focus of my life. My sculptural figures, relief pieces, and vessels are created using a variety of clay bodies which are completed with underglazes, glazes, and mixed media. They come to life with color, subtle gesture, or exaggeration of form.
After a successful and fulfilling career as an arts educator and arts coordinator in New York, I moved to Tucson, Arizona and began to concentrate my energy on creating my own art work. Several years ago I gave myself "permission" to return to ceramic clay and the world of three-dimensional art. I love the immediacy and process of moving the clay to form my figures, both human, and animal. My current pieces are spiritual figures adorned with patterning and surface texture. They display a reference to world cultures and religions. The pieces also provide me with a drawing and painting surface, satisfying my love of detail work.
In addition to my own work, I have been involved in an Outreach Program that has afforded me the opportunity to teach art to people from nine to ninety years old. There is no end to the joys of the creative process.
The same voice I use to guide and motivate others to their creative potential, became the voice I called on for myself. The vibrant colors and spirituality of the Southwest are a source of motivation for my drawings and paintings. Next, I began to integrate the spirit, color, and energy from places I’ve traveled, such as Africa and South-East Asia. I’ve found many common design elements wherever I’ve been and brought them back home to my work.
I was born and raised in New York and earned an undergraduate degree in art from the Pratt Institute. I continued my post-graduate education and earned a certificate for school administration and supervision from the University of the State of New York.

Diane Haynes

Yvonne M Hazelton

Horses are a common theme in her paintings and an endless source of inspiration.
They carry her across the desert and over mountains in search of new subjects. From their backs, she has observed newborn elk, bighorn sheep, and herds of wild horses, not to mention the beauty of nature, itself.
Often, inspiration comes from watching her children interact with their horses. She tries to capture these wonderful moments and emotions in her paintings. Usually done in oil, her paintings are detailed and realistic, varying in style from contemporary to sometimes a bit western.
As an artist, she hopes to share the beauty and inspiration that God has shared with her.

Sylvia Herrera

Sylvia wants her art to bring out the splendor of God's creation.
Her travels have contributed to her love for bright, bold color. Sylvia spent much of her life living in California, as well as eleven years living in Hawaii. She has traveled extensively in Canada, Mexico, many parts of the United States, and abroad.
Her home is now in Tucson, Arizona, not far from Tempe where her mother grew up. She is also a part time resident of Hawaii. Most often preferring to paint with layers of pure color and not doing much mixing, her paintings are vibrant, often reflecting her love for southwestern and tropical subjects.
Sylvia has a love for parrots, and enjoys going to Oasis Sanctuary in Benson, Arizona, a parrot rescue. She loves donating to their auctions to raise money for their care.
She has shown her work in galleries and art shows all over the country. It's her desire to convey joy, hope, love, and aesthetic pleasure through her work and wants more and more others to enjoy it for a lifetime on their walls!

Tracy Ann Holmes

Kim Jennings

Don Jovag

Lauri Kaye

Barb Kervin

Patty Killoran

Deb Kress

Madonna Lane

Steve Law

I have evolved from a lifelong dabbling in art to a serious pursuit of scratchboard and all things clay.
While my art focuses on nature, the desert, and Native American cultures, the media I work in are incredibly different. Scratchboard requires both patience and detail, while my approach to clay is loose and inexact. Together, they strike a great balance and keep me grounded.
I am a member of the International Society of Scratchboard Artists. My work has been featured at a number of local galleries, including two shows at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum. I’m proud to be a showcased artist at Absolutely Art Gallery & Gifts in Catalina, Arizona.

Don & Sandy Libby

Having retired from the Federal Government after collectively almost 70 years of service, they began a new venture, photography and created Iron Creek Photography.
After many years of international and domestic travel, they now travel at a much slower pace capturing beautiful landscape, nature and wildlife images.
They endeavor to share their travels through their printed work.

Susan E Libby

I’m a native of Tucson, so my work naturally encompasses the vivid and bright hues of the outdoors and the Southwest -- with a bit of whimsy added to each piece.
I enjoy expressing myself in watercolor and acrylic on wrapped canvas, with scenes of nature and animals from around the world. Over the years, I’ve lived in New England and the Rocky Mountains while working as a commercial artist and illustrator. Currently, I paint full time in my Sonoran Desert studio.
My work has been shown in numerous juries, galleries, and festival shows through out the country. In addition, I’ve been showcased in different galleries across Tucson for over 14 years. I continuously show new and fun paintings, cards and prints. Now, I’m beyond pleased to enjoy a relationship with Absolutely Art Gallery & Gifts.

Jenni Long

Jerry Longenbaugh

Kevin Lopez

Phil Lovato

Sue Maki

Joyce Mason-Monheim

Doug Miller

Sharon Miller

Gourds By Shar
Gourd Artist
My gourd designs are inspired by my love of the Southwest
Since I took my first class in gourd art in 2006, I was hooked. It’s the perfect background to express my love for the Southwest. My husband is involved in the less glamorous side of gourds, the cleaning and preparation. Thanks to him, I can dedicate my time to the creation and design processes.
My husband Larrie and I moved from Pennsylvania to Tucson in 2006, to retire in Saddlebrooke to build our dream home. Not only have we found our forever home, but it allowed me to enter a world of art. I continue to take classes to broaden my skills and learn new techniques.
I’m a member of the Saddlebrooke Fine Art Guild and participate in several art shows throughout the year. I’m also a member of the Tucson Old Pueblo Gourd Patch and have won numerous ribbons at the Wuertz Gourd Festival.
You can find my work in Absolutely Art Gallery & Gifts, located in Catalina.

Delys Nast

As a child of an artistic mother, grand daughter of a sculpture, Delys Nast grew up with pastels in one hand and brushes in the other, with the freedom to explore any creative outlet she could imagine, including a career in graphic design.
Not afraid to get her fingers muddy with clay or died brown from mahogany wood stain, her passion for nature in an expression of creativity has evolved into many diverse skills across several types of media. From painting; woodworking; jewelry; lapidary... this list goes on and on and keeps growing. She resides in SaddleBrooke and is enjoying all of the opportunities available to her to continue her love of learning new mediums!

Kay Mitman-Norris

Kay began painting in watercolor upon retirement from the Pima County Library.
Watercolors appeal to her because of the wondrous effects of light and motion can be achieved.
This same magical quality can be achieved with alcohol inks and acrylics, the latter by the use of lots of water in the painting process.
The American Southwest in a major motivation in her artist renderings. Also, she has a need for experimentation that she finds useful to keep her paintings fresh, lively, and interesting to her from an artistic perspective.
Having begun painting at such a late stage in her life it has given her a purpose beyond anything she could ever have imagined! She hopes everyone enjoys her work as much as she enjoys creating it!

Karen E. Muench, Ph.D.

In the early 1990s, I began painting my life story in order to cope with past psychological trauma. I believe it saved my life.
The human condition, especially as it relates to women, has always been of keen interest to me.
In fact, my dissertation focused on the psychosocial development of women over the life cycle. I studied the relationship between women’s return to higher education and how that return affected identity development. I received my Ph.D. form the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1985. I taught for 17 years at one of its satellite campuses in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I worked with domestic violence survivors at the Christine Anne Center. WE had an exhibit of their artwork at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum in Neenah, WI. It was one of their best attended exhibits. Viewers were in awe and raved about the powerful art that survivors created. Art was a therapy for many of the survivors. It probably helped viewers in similar situations as well.
I have been in many group shows in WI and NM. I’ve had several solos shows as well. One solo show was titled “To Live My Life Outloud.” I continue to try to live my life out loud through my art. I continue to try to encourage others to do so as well. Artists are often the voices for people and creatures who can’t voice their oppression.
My paintings now focus on both social issues as well as whimsy. The whimsical folk art balances out my other more serious art. Making folk art helps keep me sane or insane, depending on the day!

Deborah Mullins

Doug & Deb Myhr

Expanding creativity in metal work
We are a husband and wife team who have worked together for over 30 years. Our history in metal working began when we opened a welding and fabrication shop in Wasilla, Alaska. This successful venture allowed us to expand our knowledge and creativity with our metal work.
Many art pieces, especially glass, are complemented with proper displays. We custom make each stand as a work of art itself. We enjoy designing and creating stands and frames for glass art pieces. We both continue to experiment with new designs and techniques, while creating unique works of art.
Since leaving Alaska 15 years ago, we have lived in many places, such as Mexico, Minnesota, Washington, Mississippi, and Arizona. Tired of winter climates, we moved to Sierra Vista and realized this location was ideal for us.

Katherine Nesci

Nancy Norton

Art, in many forms, has always been a part of Nancy’s life.
As a teacher, she encouraged her students to include art in their work. As a small business owner, she created a space filled with the work of artists, designed individual gift baskets and worked with cosmetics for burns and scars. Upon arriving in Tucson twelve years ago, she finally had the time and freedom to pursue her own art.
There is a strong art community in Tucson that encourages personal growth through classes, visiting national artists, opportunities to exhibit, and art organizations. Experimentation with watercolor, acrylics, collage, and assemblage while learning the principles of art and design encouraged further growth in mixed media. Tucson Gem and Mineral Show continue to provide inspiration for the creation of unique jewelry. This is especially fun since Nancy has a jewelry background. It is her desire to create pieces in jewelry and art that make a statement and remain timeless.
She is always inspired by the work of others. Their creations allow Nancy to share space with them for a moment. The warmth and changing colors of the desert continue to influence her work.

A few awards received:

  • Signature Membership into Contemporary Artists of Southern Arizona
  • Southern Arizona Artists Guild Nov. 2013 2nd Place
  • SAACA TCI Wealth Advisors Abstract Exhibit Honorable Mention
  • Oro Valley Community and Rec Center SAAG Show 2nd place
  • Art in Oro Valley Exhibit 2016 SAACA 1st Place
  • Special Merit Award on Light, Space and Time online Gallery

Michelle Oetinger

Cindy Olson

Penny Owens

“Taking pleasure in the process unhampered by archaic rules challenges those self-imposed barriers to creativity.”
My artistic career began as a graphic illustrator for McDermott Inc. more than thirty years ago. I always wanted to paint but had minimal experience due to chemical sensitivities.
It wasn't until 2017 shortly after moving to Arizona that a local artist introduced me to a Native American who sells pigment and walnut oil for making solvent-free paint. After experimenting with the product, I committed to a painting a day for a year and produced 400+ paintings in 2017.
"Painting is a visceral experience" -Wolf Kahn.
And it is a pleasurable one when we ignore the rules that obstruct the creative process. Painting fast and often removes the noise and enables the artist to develop a style of their own. I look to enhance the natural beauty of the subject with an exaggerated palette of pure color and brushwork that captures a sense of rhythmic energy.

Anne Palmer

Anne’s art has been her life focus since childhood.
She majored in fine art in high school and took classes in Syracuse, New York, her hometown. She received her General Studies degree with majors in fine art and psychology from Ohio University as well as later, an MS in Gerontology from University of Arizona.
Anne’s scratchboard art was born after taking an intro-to-scratchboard class through a local art guild in 2012. She has since studied under renowned scratchboard artists Cathy Sheeter, MSA and Rick Wheeler, SSA at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute. She gained Signature status with International Society of Scratchboard Artists (ISSA) in 2016.
She has won awards for her work in major shows and international competition. These include the Memorial Award in the 2016 ISSA Exhibition, the People’s Choice Award in both the 2016 and 2017 Mountain Oyster Club Contemporary Western Art Show and Sale events as well as Best in Show in the 2016 All Creatures Great and Small Show at Four Corners Gallery in Tucson, AZ. Anne serves on the Northwest Hospital Board of Trustees and is a Community Wildlife Rescue volunteer with the Tucson Wildlife Center.
Anne grew up in Syracuse, NY and has lived in Tucson, AZ for 26 years. She and her husband live in Oro Valley along with their three cocker spaniels and two horses.

Leonor Pisano

Wearable Art
Because I live where copper exists in the earth, working with it has become my passion.
Life evolves in the same way as the jewelry I create. When I pick up a piece of copper I see potential. The metal evokes a sense of possibility which begins the unique rendering of what is achievable.
I enjoy the juxtaposition of the hardness of metal with the delicate textures of nature’s gifts such as seed pods, wood, or cactus skeletons. I find it interesting for hundreds of years, people have worn copper on their skin. Copper has healing properties and has been known to ease pain such as arthritis. I love that the metal I use to form into jewelry can assist with the healing process.
My pieces combine copper with fine metals such as silver, brass, turquiose, fresh water pearls, cholla, ironwood, or leather. Some pieces feature brass and copper etched with petroglypch or drawings that have been adapted to the etching process.

Bonnie Pisik

As an artist, Bonnie believes her work should capture the beauty and movement within nature.
Her latest collection has been created by utilizing the technique of reverse painting on acrylic glass. By meticulously applying over thirty layers of bold, iridescent colors under glass, her artwork takes on a multidimensional, shimmering and reflective aura.
While creating customized and commissioned pieces for her clients, she considers the overall design, the functionality and most importantly the budget parameters of the project.
Each painting is completely unique, one-of-a-kind, and truly special!

Theresa Poalucci

“The arts are so important on so many levels. Just think of the difference between a blank wall and one filled with art.
Or think of driving down a road in silence, or listening to your favorite music. Art is communication, creativity, and it provokes emotion. You can say something with art that transcends language and cultural restrictions. It can be serious or whimsical. I especially like the diversity of art. There are as many ways to express oneself creatively as there are stars in the heavens. For me personally, art is the truest form of expression.”
While attending the University of Washington, Theresa worked as a graphic artist. That part-time job turned into a full time career, as she rose from artist, to editor, to publisher. After retiring from publishing, she and her husband moved to their home in Tucson, where she still writes and designs for the Oro Valley Voice.
"I have always painted as a hobby, although my job and raising a family left little time," she said. "When I moved to Tucson, I had a goal of learning to sculpt, taking flat images to 3D."
Theresa has been studying clay sculpture for the past five years.
She has also served as president of Southern Arizona Clay Artists. With this organization she spear-headed "Arts from the Attic" — a fundraiser to raise money for arts education for children.

Elaine A. Powers

Elaine A. Powers, resides in Oro Valley, holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music and Biology from Florida State University and a Master of Science degree from the University of West Florida.
After a career as a laboratory research biologist, she writes science-based children’s books, mysteries and audio theatre scripts. Among her many published books; the “Don’t” series features animals of the desert (tortoises, roadrunners, and rattlesnakes).
“Queen of the Night” was written for Tohono Chul’s famous night-blooming cereus. “How Not to Photograph a Hummingbird” is a humorous tale of trying to photograph the elusive birds, while introducing some of the plants, animals and minerals of the Sonoran Desert. Elaine has several books at Absolutely Art Gallery & Gifts that are appropriate for children or the child in all of us. Delightful stories and illustrations.

Janet M. Reeves

Mediums: Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Charcoal, Clay and Beads
Born and raised on a cattle ranch in the Hi Lo country of Northern New Mexico, 50 miles from the nearest town, Janet started painting at the age of 12. She soon became known for her portraits of people, horses, cattle, and wildlife. Since 1975, her work has been exhibited in shows, galleries, museums, and private collections through-out the Southwest, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Her portraits of Cattlemen have been published on the cover of the New Mexico Stockmen magazine, and her wildlife on various other publications.
After many years in the cattle business, real estate, designing and manufacturing rodeo arenas and bucking chutes, etc., Janet moved to Arizona in 2014 and began to paint fulltime, once again. She soon regained a reputation for creating special commissions of horses, wildlife, and people, and stays busy doing what she loves. Janet says it gives her great joy and satisfaction to capture the distinct and colorful personalities of her subjects. She is thrilled to show her art at Absolutely Art Gallery.

Judy Robbins

Growing The Idea Into Being
The story goes back a long way, from the realization that Judy loved to draw and paint as a little girl to changing careers midlife by returning to college for her art degree. Since life always evolves, her art has evolved from years of experience, from the skills she has picked up along the way and from the places she has lived.
Sometimes the work is started by her saying "I can't do this. I can't do this." Then she does it. The place where she lives now is her inspiration. She observes and absorbs constantly. There is nothing neither more peaceful nor more exciting than being in the studio making something solid and enduring from the glimmer of an idea.

Kati Robison

Ann Rolando

Jo Rom

Jo has been designing and creating art for friends and family since childhood. An art class inspired her to update her skills and create a larger body of work.
In the business world she started as a graphic artist, designing and drawing Mil Spec Computers at ROLM Corporation in San Jose , CA. She also did computer graphics for Singer Aerospace and AlphaGraphics in Tucson. Her degree is in Business with a minor in Marketing.
She loves to continue learning as much as she can about art and new methods, looking for classes to help with her yearn to learn.

Diana Roth

John Runnels

Karen Samson

Dianne Sanders

Vivian Sathre

Alicia Schilder

As a multi-media artist, I have explored the continuum of realism to abstraction, particularly in the last 5 years.
In using a variety of mediums and techniques (watercolor and acrylic paints, gels, rice and cotton papers, found and re-purposed materials in collage) I find limitless opportunity for creative expression. At times I start with a landform or picture in mind and build from there, always striving toward abstraction. At other times, I start with a free-wheeling abstracted base, and layer after layer, watch to see what the piece becomes. With both approaches, I think about juxtaposing natural forms with an imposed structure that accentuates the feel and movement of the natural form. So I may start with a mountain vista landscape, but add layers of geometric shapes over part or all, of the scene.
With the goal of achieving different levels of abstraction, I hope to lead the viewer to see and think beyond the obvious, to what might lie hidden beneath. If the viewer studies my art, and questions arise as well as recognition, then I feel I have reached that viewer.
My art journey has been anything but a straight line from intent to expression. But I am at a point now where I value the “play” as much or more than the product. Playing with paint feeds my soul!

Leticia Schmidt

Bob Schoel

Nancy Schroeder

Ted Seela

Kathleen Seelye

I love to share Divine Inspirations from Nature. I need nature and wildlife.
Animals have been in my life since my childhood days. Our home was always filled with animals, from fish, birds, dogs, cats, hamsters and monkeys to name a few. I love all creatures. Every animal the Universe brought into my life I had an incredible relationship with each of them.
I have lived most of my life in CA. My two beautiful adult children still live there. The last 20 years have been assisting veterans nationwide helping to obtain benefits with the incredible assistance of my sweetheart. We are known as "veterans’ friend" and currently reside in AZ. Outside of our busy schedule we travel local areas, and will cover miles for Wildlife, landscapes, nature’s art forms.
The photographs are not photo shopped and many are limited editions.
Also available are Pet Portraits-They are family too!

Kathy Sieloff

Colleen Slater

Carol Ann Small

My goal is to design artwork that is my own – no rules, no mistakes, no patterns to follow – just play and create.
My life as an artist began after I retired from a career in Graphic Design and Drafting. I was ready to leave the world of precision and programmed drawing.
I create my art using commercial and hand-painted fabric, adorned with thread painting, three-dimensional manipulation, and other embellishments. Inspired by the desert landscape, sunsets, and other beauties of nature, I create wall hangings with themes of floral abstracts, landscapes, people, and pet caricatures. My postcards are typically whimsical and seasonal.
Fiber art has been created for centuries. I believe I’m bringing a new and fresh approach to a timeless art form. Join me at Absolutely Art Gallery for a take on my fiber art.

Christine Smith

Sherrie Spangler

Laura Stafford

Mediums: Photography, PMC3 (FINE SILVER)/METALSMITH
The link between photography and metalsmithing may seem wide, but creating both brings me a sense of calm and joy.
All my worries melt away when photographing birds or making a piece of jewelry; I don't think about anything but what I am doing. Capturing the beauty and personality of a bird in a photograph is such a high. Creating a piece of jewelry around a special gemstone is so thrilling.
I enjoy all types of photography, but what brings me the greatest joy is photographing birds. Being able to capture their beauty is so exciting. I’ve had the honor of my image of a Pyrrhuloxia being selected for the cover of the January/February 2011 issue of the National Audubon Magazine. Two of my greatest accomplishments were having images published in two books: Peterson Reference Guide to Woodpeckers of North American and Woodpeckers of the World.
I love creating jewelry and have evolved over the years. I love working with natural gemstones such as Turquoise, Lapis, Coral and Malachite, PMC3 and sterling silver. You will often see these stones used in my finished pieces. Last year I heard about a product called PMC3. Once I started working with this amazing product I never looked back. PMC3 (Metal Clay) is fine silver, which is 99.9 % pure silver. You can roll it, shape it, cut it, and form it with your hands. Yet, after the firing process you end up with solid silver you can file, saw, hammer and solder. Over the years I have been published on several occasions with my designs being featured on the covers of Simply Beads and Bead Trends along with a necklace and bracelet published in a book titled “Four Seasons of Beading.”

Laura Stiltner

Mediums: Pottery,Clay / Ceramics
I have been working with ceramics on and off for 25+ years.
My husband, Doug, took a class at Northern Pioneer College in Show Low, Arizona. It looked so fun, I decided to join him. I took classes on the wheel, but enjoyed hand building more.
I stopped doing clay for a few years as my job as a Wal-Mart store manager kept me very busy. Once I retired in 2009 I started working on my pottery again. After filling my walls, and giving ceramic wall art as gifts, I decided to start selling my work.
Since then I have done several art shows; Tohono Chul, Desert Museum and Oracle Open Studio Tour to name a few. My ceramic wall art is "One of a Kind" always colorful with a hint of whimsy.
I include parts of the Arizona desert with Cholla, Saguaro and Prickly Pear cacti skeletons, beads and charms in every piece. My hope is that when you look at a piece of my art it makes you smile.

Linn Sluter

Linn has loved working with anything glass for over 20 years.
She has worked with several mediums, stained glass, fused glass and now adding broken glass. Her current work involved the breaking of Margarita glasses and transforming them into gorgeous sunflower wall art.
So creative. Can’t wait to see her next creations!

Martha Sprenkle

As an asthmatic child, the days of crayons and coloring books where the highlight of Martha’s younger years and was her introduction to art.
Martha was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the majestic, castle-like Philabrook Museum and Gilcrease Museum are located.
Throughout the years her family would take an afternoon to visit the Philbrook Museum gardens which is a beautifully designed spacious park. At the age of nine Martha’s parents enrolled her in a summer art session of clay and painting at the Philbrook Museum. That was the summer she realized how much she enjoyed the gallery and paintings in the museum halls. It seems that she had interest as a young child to notice color and design.
Going to fabric stores as a child, and even now, is a delightful experience to see the fabric designs, color combinations and the texture of the fabric.
Martha also finds nature is an inspiration to observe, colors, shadows, designs of each plant, an amazing lifetime of study. Each day Martha feels thankful and humble for the sincere ability to study and observe shades of color, shapes, and values and how light can change the way an object looks. Martha feels blessed to be and say “I am an artist.”

Jean Stithem

For my entire adult life, I have always been involved in some form of art or crafts. I have enjoyed quilting, jewelry making, tole painting, paper crafting, ceramics, and knitting.
For 25 years before retiring I had been a vendor at indoor and outdoor craft shows participating in 20 to 25 shows a year. While living in Denver I organized three shows a year with attendance of 2500+ customers and 70 plus vendors per show.
My husband, Gary, and I had been looking to downsize and move to an active retirement community. In July 2016 we made the big move to Saddlebrooke. The plan was to start a new chapter in our life. Gary wanted to play tennis 24 /7/365 days a year. And my plan was to find new activities that I had never tried before.
Our first discovery was Pickleball and the whole world of retirement FUN opened up for us. You will find either or both of us on the courts four or five times a week.
Then I discovered line dancing. And I’m still trying to get my two left feet and my brain working together. It’s a challenge.
I Play Mahjong /Marvelous and am still looking for someone who knows how to play Chinese mah-jongg, the one without a card.
One day I decided to check out the pottery room and I walked by a classroom where a group was weaving baskets. Quickly got my attention. I stepped inside to ask if they were taking new students. The rest is history. Basket weaving is probably my first love of all my activities that I do here at Saddlebrooke.
Well- a toss-up between Pickleball and basket weaving.

Kitty Sturrock

Susan Swanson

Rose Swarts

Scott Taylor

Kathy Thompson

Margaret Thompson

Madeline Thorpe

Madeline is a self-taught multi-talented artist who was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona and now splits her time between Tucson and Pinetop in the White Mountains.
Her art, whether hand-made beaded clothing, paper castings, watercolors, jewelry or etched glass, is heavily influenced by the things she loves of the Southwest, the Sonoran desert, the surrounding mountains and her Hispanic origin.
Each of her etched glass pieces is uniquely hand-designed using one of two techniques. The first involves the application of a masking paper upon which a design is drawn. The design is then cut out, using a single-edged razor blade. This leaves underlying glass exposed to a sandblasting process in which aluminum oxide is applied under the force of high-pressure air from a compressor. In using the second technique, Madeline draws her designs with white glue squeezed from a small plastic bottle through a thin hollow tip. This leaves a portion of the glass object not covered by glue exposed to the same sandblasting process. Her designs using this technique she calls her, “Off the Wall” designs, and represent her interpretation of petroglyphs and pictographs found in Arizona and surrounding states. She is especially excited in doing these designs as they allow her to feel closely akin to those original artists of the southwest.
Madeline is also the author of Corazon Contento, a cookbook which features the regional recipes, recuerdos [family stories], dichos [sayings], and remodios [remedies] of her childhood.

Dave Trimber

Don Trout

Risa Waldt

Risa Waldt, a native Tucsonan, grew up in the desert. While horseback riding along the Rillito river, she soaked up a vision of the desert that pursued her until she began painting to express it.
In 1973 she began a love affair with light, using watercolor. She loves to paint the Grand Canyon, wildlife, and historical features of Arizona.
Waldt's watercolor of Tucson's Courthouse was purchased by the Tucson Museum of Art as a gift to the Harmsens for donating their substantial Western Art Collection to the City of Tucson.
For a multi-media event with Orts Dance Theater, she contributed five large watercolors which were projected as a backdrop for the dancers. Ideas for these paintings came to her while listening to the music for the piece.
An award-winning member of the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild President 2003-2004 season, Risa is also a charter member of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington, DC), an associate member of the National Watercolor Society and the American Watercolor Society, and an active member of the National League of Pen Women, and the Arizona Watercolor Association.
Risa's Art is her contribution to World Peace, Serenity and Contemplation, Beauty, Honoring our Beloved Earth.

Jan Fabian Wallake

Eldon Ward

Eldon is an "Emerging Artist" starting his art career in the front range of Colorado.
HE and his wife Judy have recently moved to Arizona to enjoy a change in weather and be near family.
He is primarily focused on creating large scale, multi-piece wall mounted artworks comprising panels and ancillary parts he fabricates from recycled materials; primarily salvaged hollow-core doors. This keeps the doors out of the landfill and these materials work well for the hard-edged approach he likes to use. Also, he likes the idea of windows and doors conveying us - visually or physically - between the security of a familiar space to the less certain world beyond.
His works often consider the interplay between natural, man-made, and abstract elements. Eldon strives to spark curiosity at a glance, and provoke a longer or repeated viewing. He’s not really concerned with "style" or most traditional studio techniques. He says: I missed the class when they taught that a frame should go on the outside of a painting.
Eldon grew up in rural eastern Colorado in a sod house (really); attended Colorado State University where he took Civil Engineering and Construction Management courses in addition to the Art curriculum.
He worked as an architectural draftsman; did free-lance design/graphic artwork – primarily large scale “supergraphic” murals; designing furniture and hand-carved signs; was a planner for the City of Fort Collins; and a project manager and designer for an architectural/planning firm. He was the owner of Cityscape Urban Design (planning and landscape architecture) for over 25 years, and was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” - for the accomplishments of Cityscape Urban Design - in 1994 by Fort Collins.

Don Trout

Carolyn Watson

Bronze Sculptor, Oil Painter
As an artist, I have been afforded the freedom to create an idea that begins in my mind. To have that idea accepted and admired by others as a finished sculpture is truly an exhilarating experience. My pieces reflect serenity and cause one to pause and remember the simple pleasures and everyday life of days gone by. It is crucial to nourish the human spirit with pleasant surroundings, especially now when each day seems to bring new turmoil and unrest. I would hope that my art is a sort of “balm for the soul”.
Even as a child growing up on a farm in Nebraska, I always had an urge to create “something special” that I couldn’t quite describe. As a little girl I would spend hours drawing anything and everything around me. I never really had any formal art training, just a strong and constant urge to make something with my hands. I moved from Nebraska with my husband to Tucson in 1988.
At that point my art took on a whole new direction. I went from painting rural scenes with barns and windmills to southwest art. I became enthralled with the southwest and the Native American culture. I took up etching and painting the environment in Arizona.
One winter, I attended an art show in Tucson, where I met a famous sculptor displaying his work. I fell in love with a life sized bronze of a little doe he had done. Painting was fun, but this was something else. To be able to express art in three dimensions was the answer to everything I had been searching for all those years. I knew instinctively that if it was something I would do with my hands that I could do it.
The acquisition of an aesthetically pleasing Bronze not only gives pleasure to the observer, but dramatically enhances everything around it. A Bronze will never lose its value as an object of art and will last for centuries. In short, a Bronze is forever.
I have been blessed with a creative gift that gives me great pleasure only when others find pleasure in my creations.

Marcia Watters

Becky Wilson

Denise Windham-Crowley

Chi-Vas White

Art Is In My Soul
Since I was young enough to remember, I have always looked at objects, people & my surroundings as art. At a very early age, I began drawing almost anything. My fondest memories were the drawings of comic book characters and cartoons that I drew often. After dropping out of college where I majored in Fine Art & Graphic Design, my passion for art took a back seat to life.
Now that I’ve begun to draw again, I realize that I’d forgotten how much creating art invigorated me, shaped me as a person & made me see life in a unique way. I think that art has the power to change the minds and souls of people and reach them in many different ways. If nothing else, I hope that when people see my artwork, it inspires them.

Meira Yaer

Meira Yaer’s passion for art and bright color has permeated her career as author, lecturer, nurse and therapist.
Upon moving to the desert in 1999 the compulsion to give her artistic nature full rein was irresistible. Meira had fallen in love with the desert. A prolific body of work followed wherein she developed her own techniques for layering watercolors, tinted gels and metallics to depict fantastic desert landscapes and universal native symbols.
Meira’s imaginative approach to her subject matter is intricate and sparkles with deep color, bringing to mind mosaics of precious stones and metal. Her art has maturity and evokes a spirit of celebration. Meira’s ongoing career work in brain injury, recovery and advocacy has no doubt influenced her understanding and celebration of the valiant human spirit which carries through her art.
A sensibility in balance of color and proportion of form allow her larger pieces to translate well not only into cards and prints, a secondary market to Meira’s success in selling original works, but also into very large scale art.
Most recently, Meira is expanding art by exploring with acrylics and metallics on larger canvas, creating art that reflects shapes, and colors through a veil of Spirit.

Jeffrey Zelmanow

Karen Zollman