Having been born in Phoenix and raised in Wickenburg, Arizona has been my home most of my life. Although, I spent 12 years in wonderful Wyoming raising my 3 children, I was happy to get back to the Sonoran Desert in 1996.
Art has always been in my life. My grandfather was an oil painter and my father was a great sketcher and saddle maker, tooling beautiful works of art. I was taught to appreciate artistic ability and quality from them, at an early age.
I have also dabbled in oil painting and sketching off and on through the years, but it wasn’t until 2019 that I found clay and it became my passion.
In early 2023, I became the chair of the Wickenburg Clay Group. I spend most days at the art club creating and enjoying the friendships I have made there.
I also enjoy getting out into the desert to ride our side by side, go camping and rock hounding.
My other joy is being the “Nawnie” to 7 grands and 4 great grands.
Artistic ability has shown up in my children and now some of my grands. I’m very happy that this part of my heritage is continuing on.
I was born and raised in Iowa and am a graduate of the University of Iowa in Related Art.
I see designs for my jewelry in nature, animals, and the vibrant Arizona desert. Colors for my work are chosen from the Arizona sunsets, desert flowers, mountains and Native American influences.
I design and make all my jewelry as one of a kind.
My passion is bead embroidery which allows me to create unique pieces of jewelry.
I work to understand the relationship between art & nature and how to apply this to my designs.
I am a watercolor painter and art teacher. I have worked in many media, but my passion is watercolor for its flowing pigments and depiction of mood.
Since going from southern California to Arizona, I have fallen in love with the Southwest and its dramatic landscapes and amazing skycaps.
While living in Tucson in the 80’s, I was “juried” into the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild.
For the next 35 years life got in the way with my teaching career, children and who knows what else so my paint brushes lay dormant.
Recently, in southern California I was involved in the San Diego Watercolor society. Artists of the High Desert and Redlands Art Association.
You might say that my style is “impressionistic realism”.
Now that I am seriously painting again, I hope that I am communicating the awe that I experience in the creation around me.
If one of my painting helped you sense that awe, I am grateful.
I am an Idaho native, so most of my paintings reflect my love of the mountains that I was raised in and my life-long love of horses.
I began painting in 1974, taking tole painting lessons, and within a year I teaching painting.
I earned my degree in Art Education and Special Education in 1988. I taught special needs students while I was also teaching private lessons.
Teaching art fills my should. When I moved to Wickenburg, Arizona. I discovered a new world of scenery that I have come to love.
God has given us such beauty, and I want to honor Him by replicating our world as best as I am able.
After graduating from the University of Denver and teaching art for six years, I began painting full-time. Working in watercolor and oil, my subjects are the diverse beauty of the western landscape and its wildlife, animals, and the western lifestyle in Wyoming and Arizona.
Major exhibitions have included the Desert Caballeros Western Museum’s Cowgirl Up! exhibition, the American Academy of Equine Art , Women Artists of the West, The Mountain Oyster Club, Cheyenne Western Spirit Art Show, and formerly the C.M. Russell Auction and Quick Draw in Great Falls, MT and the top 100 “Art for the Parks” competition formerly held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Her awards include a second place in two-dimensional work at the 46th Annual Women Artists of the West (WAOW) exhibition at the Hanna Gallery in Fredericksburg, TX. Other juried exhibitions include the 48th Annual at the Price Tower in Bartlesville, OK, the 49th National Exhibition at Mary Williams Fine Arts Gallery in Boulder, CO. and 51st Annual held at The Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, TX. Her paintings were also juried into the Oil Painter’s of America’s Virtual Western Regional Exhibition at the Illume Gallery of Fine Art, St. George, UT, and the 2021 Western Regional Exhibition of Traditional Oils at the Mark Arts Gallery in Wichita, KS.
Permanent collections in Wyoming include the Governor’s Mansion, Wells Fargo Bank, Central Wyoming College Foundation, Bonneville Transloaders Trucking, Inc., Community Fine Arts Center in Rock Springs, the Dubois Museum and Community Headwaters Center, and many private collections throughout the United States and Europe.
Donating to charitable events are my way of giving back to the community.
Looking back at my life and the elements that have defined me, the one thing that stands out above all others is the deep-seated need to express myself through art. Art and the process of creation is the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing that fills my mind at the end of each day.
As an essentially self-taught artist, I have been able to find my own truths and artistic paths along the way. I am naturally curious and fervid when it comes to understanding new techniques, making the self-learning process a challenge I enjoy.
Today, I continue with a concentration on the use and application of the many creative software programs that advance creativity, such as digital and original paintings and mixed media collage art. I have found that having a comfort level and understanding of the computer and its sophisticated software has provided an added opportunity for artistic experimentation and problem-solving.
Through the years, I have studied printmaking, drawing, painting, and graphic design, and I feel fortunate to have had a very successful career in that extremely competitive field. While art is by nature intuitive and emotive, my process is quite straightforward. I approach each new piece knowing that it requires a correct set of elements bound together with creative resolve, with the ultimate goal being a perfected visual exposition. I am experimental to a considerable degree, but my guiding goal is to create with a combination of intuition and a clear sense of artistic balance.
Tom Meade Painting Using photographs as reference, I paint landscapes with oils on canvas.
Art makes my heart feel good.
My Path was a Masters Degree in Interior Design. For 20 years i designed model homes. I could not always find the appropriate theme or color palette in selecting art for model homes, so i picked up a paintbrush and started painting.
Now that I am retired from the world of design, I continue to receive such satisfaction in painting!
Fun, bright, and graphic are “a few of my favorite things.”
Mixed media is tugging at me right now. It allows one’s imagination to travel and be limitless to possibilities. I hope my art leaves a bright spot in your day!
I am a recent transplant to Arizona, and I love it! I have always lived “up north” and worked in several different genres that mostly represented the area in which I dwelled, but I have always been drawn to the art and warm colors of the Southwest.
This move has inspired me to experiment with a new genre – metal embossing. By using various metal foils such as copper, aluminum and brass, I emboss them with a multitude of patterns using a rolling press, and color with alcohol inks.
Once dried and stabilized with a protectant coat, I then cut them into various sizes and shapes to achieve my design.
The mosaic pieces are somewhat like a jigsaw puzzle – I quit to design it and make sure all the pieces fit perfectly. Some of my work will incorporate leather and glass tile beads to achieve a multi-dimensional look.
“Art is spiritual for me and brings me a great fulfillment , which I hope is reflected in my work.”
Hi! I am Linda Sanders. I’ve been a member of the Wickenburg Art Club for many years. I have been a jewelry lover all my life and started making jewelry about 35 years ago.
I specialize in using gemstones, pearls, high-quality crystals and sterling silver. Lately, I have been focusing on making Southwestern-style necklaces and earrings using sterling silver and turquoise.
I pay special attention to the composition and colors of each precious piece. I shy away from gemstones and metals that aren’t genuine. I use professional grade wire for stringing and use special findings to make my jewelry strong and long-lasting.
My styles are varied and unique. I have worked full-time as a Wickenburg real estate agent for 31 years and continue to do so, but I find time to do local arts and craft shows and Wickenburg Art Club events. Ten years ago, I started a monthly craft show that benefits the Wickenburg Public Library that supports both the library, the community and the participating artists.
My jewelry craft and the other artisans that I have met and worked with over the years have enriched my life immensely.
Bio
Carol has always been a creator, starting with sewing doll clothes and then designing and sewing her own clothing. Over the years she has used a variety of mediums with her creative artwork. Her expressive voice is currently through leather.
Her passion is to sculpture free-form leather vessels, she works with a variety of leathers and embellishments’ for designing her artwork. The vessels are made from vegetable-tanned leather and are truly a one-of-a-kind creation. The leather has the longevity and beauty only an artisan-created product can sustain. The original fibers of the animal’s hide add to its character making each piece unique along with her addition of dyes, stains and paints.
Carol graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a teaching degree, majoring in photojournalism. Upon graduation, her career in the hospitality industry started in Nebraska and crisscrossed the US several times, working for many major hotel companies as well as independent resorts landing in Scottsdale in 1992.
Artist Statement
Leather inspires me since it offers many possibilities with the different textures and finishes. My vision of how the leather wants its history and story represented is reflected and carried forward in my artwork. At times the hides seem to speak to me on how they want to be portrayed from an artistic viewpoint.
I hand select each vegetable tanned leather hide embracing all the holes, markings and texture knowing the original fibers of the hide add character. These unique features are purposely worked into the artwork creating interest and a focal point. This leather has the longevity and beauty only an artisan-created product can sustain.
Each vessel is hand sculpted using a wet free-form molding process and dried naturally. My selection of stains, dyes and special finishes makes my one-of-a-kind leather vessels unique.
My greatest joy comes from seeing the finished pieces since no two leather hides are exactly alike because each has a different history.
Bio
Sharon Hernly is a gifted tradition artist whose childhood within the enchanting landscapes of rural New Mexico profoundly influences her creative vision. Infused with the vibrant spirit and color palette of Southwestern culture, history, and landscapes, her oil painting transcend art – they are a heartfelt journey that celebrate the region’s rich past and dynamic present.
A lifelong love of art has guided Sharon’s path. To refine her skills and achieve her goal of becoming a master painter, she sought mentorship from renowned master artist and teacher Stefan Baumann. She continues to deepen her artistic expression through workshops and online classes, constantly striving for artistic growth.
Cherished by collectors and art enthusiasts alike, Sharon’s work graces private collections across the United States and Europe.
Now residing in Arizona, she draws endless inspiration from its breathtaking vistas and cultural richness. Through her creations, Sharon invites viewers to share in her artistic journey—one defined by passion, perseverance, and an enduring connection to the Southwest.
