A Sense of Place

I think the reason I started painting Saguaro cactus in hot deserts was  my rebellion against the wintry mountain range I was forced to look at  or maybe I saw a picture on a postcard? Also, the melancholy blues because my mother couldn't grow flowers in her clay soil but the homes near grandma's house had plenty  of perennials. I also remembered from an early experience seeing lush public  gardens before I turned six? Whatever, I love flowers and cactus.

A sense of space just reminds me of my surroundings of where I am today and the beauty of nature that is here.

Janet, a Tucson native & graduate of the University of Arizona, has been a potter, sculptor & artist for 53 years. She is owner of Sabino Stoneware Pottery; her gallery & studio is located near the University at 1019 N. Jacobus Avenue. She is founder of Romero House Potters & teaches an advanced ceramics class there.

Two of these paintings are done from photos taken in June on my way home from Montana and one of my most favorite places to be. My spirit is always lifted and renewed while I am in that place. The third painting is from an area on the Mogollon Rim Arizona. I am always drawn to the way sunlight and shadow play amongst the pines trees and the grasses on the on the forest floor.

Debborah has always loved drawing and painting and has a fascination with color. Color and light are still the things that stir up her desire to preserve a moment with oil paint or her newest passion, pastels. 

My  art evolves as the wilds evolve. "The Wilds Free Me" is a series of  abstract paintings inspired by natural and urban landscapes. Evolution  happens with infinite motion - universally, societally, and personally.  My wanderings in the world seep through the canvas like negatives  processing in a a dark room. Whether it be dramatic grey rain sheets  moving across the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, or witnessing majestic  cloud reflections in the wet sand on Murreagh beach in Ballyferriter,  County Cork, Ireland. It leaves me breathless. The wilds free me and  inspire my art.

"Peaceful Moonrise" - an evening view depicting a Century Plant overlooking the San Pedro Valley of Southeastern Arizona. 

I paint and specialize in landscapes. I’m known for depicting the skies of the southwest in both oil and watercolor. I absolutely love clouds as seen out West. I love what cloud shadows do to mountain ranges. I love the color on the land, and the color overall, whether it be intense or muted. I love depicting the desert and its beautiful and transforming skies at all times of the day.  

When you understand saguaro cactus live 50-75 years before they may grow an arm you begin to understand why they are so revered and protected in the Sonoran Desert. "Whispers of time" was painted to capture the constant change and movement in the desert juxtaposed with the saguaros standing as ancient, protective, sentinels.

Iconic Sentinels is a view I have driven past many times over the years and never noticed the beauty of this grouping of these desert plants. One day on our drive to Yarnell, Arizona the site and beauty of the saguaros and Joshua tree caught my eye. These plants are over 100 years old now. Can you imagine the history the plants have been through? I wish they could talk!

One of the greatest gifts of becoming an artist has been learning to really see. Refracting the world through my own artful lens is a joy. Working in watermedia and oil, I strive to capture those moments that have tripped some artistic trigger. As a native Texan and an Arizona resident for 35 years, my sensibilities are grounded in the American Southwest, its palette and atmosphere.

Representations of place: some from grand, awe-inspiring places and experiences, many from everyday passed-by and overlooked moments; mundane occurrences in no special place that are never given the chance to be regarded as beautiful or capable of meaning.

An Arizona-based artist, Deb loves the looseness, energetic textures, whimsy and transparency of watercolor batik on paper. Her art is featured in galleries and has numerous won awards. Growing up in the Midwest, Deb has always found very creative ways to express herself within daily life whether it be home decorating, large mural painting or photography

I have included two different series, one series called "Shelter" (of four paintings) was painted over time during the pandemic and is about the different forms of shelter that people may have. Knowing some people were homeless and/or struggling during that time, I have taken into consideration that home might be a temporary shelter, a shack, a even a tent, but even so, it is their sense of place. I used minimal colors as well as charcoal, because if I suddenly was left homeless or scrambling for shelter, would I be able to have a full range of paints at my disposal. The second series are three small watercolors. They represent my sense of place in the two regions of this country, and my journeys between the two.

For me, “sense of place” isn’t tied to a specific physical location; it is about finding comfort and inner strength that you carry within you, regardless to your whereabouts. 1. “Sky Ceiling” 40x30, oil. There’s a profound sense of liberation in shedding limitations and conquering fears, allowing you to embrace your true self. When you reach that point, you recognize it as a rightful place, your true essence. This painting serves as a constant reminder and source of inspiration, urging me to find comfort and unwavering belief in my abilities and core identity. 2. “Little Becky’s Amazing Life Adventure” 40x30, oil. My personal life journey inspired this painting, a quest to find a place where I truly belong. Much like Dorothy, I’ve learned that the answer lies within. Discover and believe in yourself and you’ll always be at home. 3. “Sarah and Nina” 40x30, oil. What could evoke a stronger “sense of place” than a mother and child peacefully snuggling together as they sleep. It is the perfect “sense of place”