Window Into the Sublime
30 new works
The people and places of the West throughout the seasons will be depicted in new paintings and sculptures during Mountain Trails Gallery’s exhibition Window into the Sublime: Winter into Spring. On view in the Sedona showroom will be approximately 30 works of art featuring snow-covered terrain as well as scenes that evoke the brisk mountain air of the high deserts.
“We are amazed and uplifted by the grandeur of the Western landscape, as well as the human spirit, as expressed in a painting or sculpture by our artists,” says Julie R. Williams, director of Mountain Trails Gallery. “In all kinds of weather, they are out there working to capture those moments in nature that transcend the ordinary. They always seem to give us a glimpse of perhaps what lies beyond the eye’s perception.”
Several artists in the show turn their attention to the Grand Canyon, depicting the skies above and views into the depths of the cavernous beauty.
Linda Glover Gooch’s painting Canyon Clouds was inspired by the 2018 summer monsoons. “The clouds that build at the Grand Canyon inspire me, thrill me and give me an ultimate challenge. One would think the view is unbeatable when standing on the rim of the canyon, but then you are visited by billowing clouds that begin to dominate the scene,” she explains. “Clouds have become so intriguing to me, it is a constant and continued quest for me to capture these amazing wonders on canvas.”
In Bill Cramer’s work East Rim Daybreak,
he focuses on the views of the Colorado River below that are easily found while exploring the East Rim of the Canyon. He shares, “The inspiration for this painting comes from the reflecting morning light that turns the river into a ribbon of bright blue in a sea of canyon shadows. It’s a grand reward for getting on location before sunrise.”
Several times a year the small mountain town of Julian, California, where artist Joe Garcia lives, gets snowstorms where the wildlife—including rabbits—will explore the landscapes. “The storms come and go very quickly. So when the sun comes out I hurry to photograph the strong cast shadows and contrast of values that snow offers for painting reference,” he says. “Brr! is a composition based on lights and darks. The snowy thicket offered a great opportunity to tuck a bird or animal into the shadows, inspiring me to paint a story that might be found in the cold of winter!”
Curt Mattson’s sculpture Catchin’ a Quitter depicts the daily life of living in the West during the 1910s. Mattson says, “The West had many wonderful women that worked right along with their husbands to make a ranch work. In this piece, we see one of those women. This piece is set in 1910 to 1915 time range. This steer is one of those that constantly breaks out of the herd and tries to get away. This cowgirl is on a very good colt coming down a hill fast and hot after the steer. She sits her horse well, the colt is watching every move of this steer as they move him back to the herd. A steer that constantly broke away from the herd is called a ‘bunch quitter,’ hence the title.”
Window into the Sublime: Winter into Spring will be on view from February 1 to 25.