More than 30 years ago in reflecting of my love of our beautiful Southwest, I decided to begin a visual portrayal of scenes that I’ve been fascinated with my whole life.
This lead me to begin my artists journey. I am so fortunate to be involved in the ranching industry and live on a beautiful ranch NW of Prescott as well as a location here in Wickenburg, where we enjoy the winter here. I have such an opportunity for references and subject matter, right out my door.
I enjoy creating these scenes of our everyday life and hopefully give others a peek into our corner of the world. My place is in the West, and I am always inspired by my surroundings. I give thanks to our Creator who makes all things possible.
Hi! I am Pamela Kraft
I’m a painter known for capturing the distinctive light and vibrant colors of the American West.
After earning my BFA in Visual Arts from Michigan State University, I moved west to Wyoming, where the landscape and community inspired my signature style.
I married a rancher and taught art in rural Wyoming for over 30 years and was honored as Wyoming Art Educator of the Year, a Fulbright Scholar, and received the Milken National Educator and Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Power of Art Awards, among others. During that time, I raised my two daughters, who are now grown.
Now That I have retired from teaching, I focus on my art and split my time between a cattle ranch in Wyoming and a home in Congress, Arizona.
My works have been showcased at venues such as the University of Wyoming Art Museum, The Desert Caballeros Western Museum, the Wickenburg Art Center, Gallery 123 in Casper, WY, and Rock, Paper, Scissors Gallery in Cheyenne, WY. have received numerous Best of Show and People’s Choice Awards.
After a childhood of frustration with drawing that never seemed to match what I saw, my journey as a pastel artist began unexpectedly in my early 30s. It wasn’t until a friend persuaded me to take a $6 drawing class that everything changed. What started with simple shapes and shading evolved quickly into a newfound passion when I discovered I could create recognizable portraits.
With growing confidence in my abilities, I explored portraiture and animal studies, falling in love with the vibrant depth and texture of pastels.
Today, I create art that reflects not just technical skill but the joy of discovering a hidden talent and the power of seeing the world—people, animals, and all—in vivid color.
Hi, Im Lynda Hanson,
We moved to Wickenburg in 2015.
I have a Master Degree in HHL, I know what you are thinking, What is a HHL? Many of us has one but, most just don’t know it. “Home Hobby Lobby” degree
This year I have banned myself from two things:
Amazon…no explanation
No new hobbies or crafts. I have a large collection of many hobbies and crafts! Boxes full of:
A. Sewing Material
B. Scrapbook paper and cardstock
C. Stamps and Dies
D. Paint and brushes
E. Ribbon
F. Piano/Vocal Music
G. and more, “Oh my”
I’ve always enjoyed creative outlets—knitting, quilting, rag and porcelain dolls, making greeting cards, playing the piano and singing to name just a few.
I won’t go into awards or degrees that I have received….”BORNING” that is in the past, and we don’t know what the future will bring. BUT, the present is now.
My initials are L T J H, I put them to “Let The Journey Happen” and that’s what I want to do. Everyday is a new journey and what is happening is up to me. The last four years I have been doing acrylic painting. No art schooling just books and yes, “You Tube”. The last six months I discovered “Diamond Art” and enjoyed it in the hot summer.
Crafting is both relaxing and rewarding, and I enjoy sharing it with others.
This is my “BIO” and Im sticking to it.
What are you doing to make your Journey Happen?
Being a native of Arizona, Gina has a passion for painting all subjects of the Wild West including colorful horses, rodeo scenes, desert landscapes, and desert animals. Gina’s paintings invite you in with their festival of swirling colors and slightly whimsical style.
Gina’s professional career started 37 years ago with a Tole and Decorative painting classes and from there continued to grow. She has been teaching, creating and painting ever since. After graduating from Northland Pioneer College with an Associate Degree in Fine Art, she moved with her family to Las Vegas, NV and designed painted clothing for the Tropicana Hotel, Hilton and many other shops in town.
Gina continued her education and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s degree in Fine Art.
Gina currently owns a shop/gallery in Wickenburg, Arizona where she displays her creations of paintings, painted furniture and 3D designs.
Wendy Sue grew up in Southern California drawing the animals and mountains and beaches she loved.
Most of her formal art education was from Indiana University, Bloomington, and University of St. Francis, Ft. Wayne, IN.
While painting and teaching in Tucson in the 80s she studied with watercolorists Tom Hill and Zoltan Szabo. She was juried into the Southern Arizona Water Color Guild and enjoyed showing and selling her work in their events.
The magnificent southwestern landscape held a special place in her heart, but, alas, family and career and life kept her from pursuing painting full-time until retirement.
Involvement in San Diego Watercolor Society and Redlands Art Association provided many opportunities to show and sell her work and learn from other artists. Workshops with watercolorists Tom Lynch and Keiko Tanabe have reignited her passion for watercolor.
Now, surrounded again by the beautiful landscapes and people and wildlife of Arizona she is expressing the joy she feels in her surroundings through her paintings.
She hopes she has communicated that joy to you too.
Growing up amidst the beautiful landscapes of rural New Mexico, I lived in the natural beauty and the rich vibrant culture of the southwest from an early age. The rugged desert vistas, breathtaking sunsets and the captivating stories of the past weren’t just my surroundings, they became an integral part of who I am today. This also is what inspires my oil paintings reflecting not just what I see, but how I feel about the region I hold so dear.
My art is deeply rooted in the southwest spirit, history, and landscapes of the Southwest. Whether it’s a solitary saguaro standing proudly against a dramatic sky, the quiet dignity of an old mission, or the story of miners and settlers carving out their lives in this rugged terrain, I strive to capture more than just the scene. I aim to evoke a sense of place and time creating something that feels alive and deeply resonates with the viewer.
Now living in Arizona, I am surrounded by stunning vistas and cultural richness that continue to fuel my creativity. My goal is simple: to keep telling stories of the Southwest through my paintings, preserving its beauty and heritage while sharing a piece of my journey with those who view my art. This is my passion. Every brushstroke feels like a tribute to the land and its history. It is a heartfelt thank you to the place that has given me so much.
Laura grew up in PA Dutch farm country near the Appalachian trail. One of her favorite places to spend time was Hawk Mountain, a major migration fly way.
As a young adult she developed a love of the outdoors and spent time hiking and canoe tripping in Canada and Maine.
She did not begin painting until she was in her fifties having spent her work life as a social worker and family therapist.
After moving to the southwest, she began taking lessons from local artists as she developed her style with a focus on landscape painting in watercolor and oil.
As an avid hiker, many of her paintings illustrate the places she has hiked including Ireland, Peru, the Grand Canyon and Utah’s Bif 5.
She aspires to share the beauty, vivid color and peacefulness of being in nature within her paintings.
Barry Richardson began his creative journey as a woodworking hobbyist. After ending his career with the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams, he began pursuing his passion for creating in earnest. Using skills and equipment accumulated over the years, he mines his experiences from global travel, the beauty of marine life, and nature in general as inspiration for his work. His love for wood began as a child, growing up in the wooded landscape of rural Missouri. This canopy served as his playground, emotional sanctuary, and constant source of wonder.
“Artistic furniture, sculpture, carving, and turning are my focus areas for design and creation. I use reclaimed local wood whenever possible.”
Barry is a juried member of the Wickenburg Art Club, the Sedona Art Center, and belongs to the American Association of Woodturners.
His work has been featured in a year- long exhibit in Goodyear’s City Hall, featured at the Shemer Art Center in Phoenix, and was jury selected for the 5-year anniversary Gallery Show at the Tempe Center for the Arts.
He currently shows his work in the Wickenburg Art Center, and the Sedona Art Center. Barry and his wife Laura live in Buckeye AZ .
I have always been an artist, painting in acrylic, watercolor, pastel and now oil with cold wax medium. I have led a long
and successful career in sculpting in stone with my pieces on show around the country. My focus is now abstract art and photography.
I picked up a camera for the first time in 2017 when I retired from my medical career as a nurse practitioner specializing in emergency pediatrics in Santa Barbara, CA. I took up photography so I could have a portable art medium rather than bring all my paints etc. on our camping trips around the country. I instantly fell in love with photography due to the many possibilities of composing a photograph as in a paintings striving for simplicity, color harmony, composition, light and contrast.
I am self-taught in photography and painting with a few workshops under my belt. I love both the painting and photography mediums and I often combine my photography with my paintings as inspiration or incorporate them together in collage.
I have come to love the complex simplicity and the light of the desert. I find inspiration for my art expression from the beautiful
sunrises, sunsets and abundance of clouds during monsoon season. I also love photographing flowers with my close-up
camera lens and try to capture a vision of a flower that a person does not usually expect to see, a new way to see a flower.
When I go to photograph at the rodeo grounds, I try to find a photo that reflects a special moment in time for either the horses, riders or the spectators.
I once photographed a bronco rider kneeling in prayer before his ride, that’s the type of photograph I love to capture.
My interest is oil on canvas and primary landscapes, rustic buildings, and domestic and wild animals.
I’m self-taught having spend considerable time with online tutorials. I live in Wickenburg and find tons of inspiration from the surrounding area.
I sign my name as Tavarozzi on honor of grandparents (Anything and Mary Tavarozzi) who Immigrated from Italy.
Thanks
Jim Tavary (Tavarozzi)
Mainly self-taught, art has been such a joy to me on and off over the past 85 years.
Oils, oil pastels, acrylic and now colored pencil and pastels have played a part of my progress.
Animals have always been my first passion with portraits coming in a close second.
In 2018, I started an adventure using feathers as my support with acrylics, after a friend gave me a print of a feather painting of a wolf.
In late 2022, another friend started me down a new path with colored pencils and pastels.
Now I spend many pleasant hours immersed in pursuing these lovely mediums along with my feathers.
It has been an added pleasure to enjoy completing commissions memorializing pets, people and events so important to all of our lives.
Please let me know if I can help you save a treasured memory for you.
