An Inspirational Trip to Arizona Galleries

As you may have noticed I have not been posting lately. I have been working on a very complicated floral watercolor painting, (almost done) updating my website, doing paperwork etc. etc.

I believe it is instructive, inspirational and always fun, to take a day and visit galleries once in awhile. I call this an "Inspiration Break". And when you have the opportunity to visit galleries in another city or state all the better.

My husband was working a Trade Show in Arizona this past week so I decided to take an "Inspiration Break" and join him and visit galleries. I spent one day in Scottsdale and another day in Sedona. Here are some things I learned:

You can create fabulous effects with very thin oil paint on panels, runs splatters etc. Then layer very thin varnishes over it, let it bubble too quite cool!

Met a very talented painter and photographer named Marcia Myers who convinced me I have to visit Pompei on one of my trips to Italy. I liked her one woman show at Gebert Contemporary Gallery in Scottsdale.

Only saw watercolors by two artists in Scottsdale. In Sedona I saw Tom Lynch's landscape watercolors on canvas and I really like them. Very luminous and great not to have to frame with glass.

My favorite galleries in Scottsdale were on Marshall Street. I loved Ron Richmon's work at Marchall Gallery. Wow!

Mark Gould has some wonderful paintings that straddle the fence between abstract and realism and in colors that I love to paint in myself. His work is at Lanning Gallery in Sedona, where I met a very gracious artist named Debby who was working there. We had a great time discussing technique etc. I love that gallery as they were showing a collection of really creative artists, certainly not the same old thing I saw over and over in the more "touristy" galleries.

I also liked the work at James Ratliff Gallery in Sedona, especially the large African painting by John Dawson. Another artist who straddles that fence between abstraction and realism. I love that!

I promise I will post my new tropical watercolor as soon as it is done and photographed. I left a note next to it in my studio at Elliott Fouts Gallery that said "Work in progress... Needs a title, any suggestions?" Several visitors on Second Saturday left me their ideas, and I chose "Aloha" from the list. Great way to title a painting, think I will try it again next time I need a title!

So for now, Aloha