Curt Walters
New Mexico native and long-time Sedona resident Curt Walters is arguably one of greatest living Grand Canyon artists of all time. “I have a deep emotional connection to the National Park,” he says. “I have hiked most of its trails, rafted the Colorado River and have set up and painted from all the viewpoints on both North Rim and South Rim.” His primary medium is oil paint, but in the last few years, he has completed several large-scale drawings using conte and charcoal pencils. He feels that art is an essential part of who he is. “I believe that artists are born. I cannot imagine myself doing anything else. I have made a living my entire adult life from my art,” he says. After spending time in Taos, he moved to Sedona on Thanksgiving Day 1979 to be closer to both the Grand Canyon and two Sedona galleries he was asked to join—La Galleria Gallery and Trailside Galleries. He has traveled all over the world including to Jordan, Indonesia and European countries to paint. Curt has won 55 awards for excellence in painting at art shows. His emotions ultimately guide his creations.
“A Chasm Sublime Plateau Point,” Oil on Canvas
“My artistic philosophy is to follow my artistic instincts in all cases. Everything I have painted comes from an emotion I want to express, or a story I want to tell about something important to me. I think artists instinctually tell the story of the time in which they live. The politics and emotion of the day will always show up, even in an historical subject,” he says. “I do not allow anyone to comment on my work when it is in the first stages of creation. It is my painting; stay out of my head!”
“Compilation of the Gods,” Oil on Canvas
Curt is also dyslexic and calls it his greatest gift. “As a young person, the schools of my hometown of Farmington, New Mexico, made me feel undeserving, and the instructors called me stupid,” he says. “My condition was not understood and explained to me until I was in college. I have learned how to deal with it and have come to understand that in reality, dyslexia is my greatest gift. Discovering that many great artists have also been dyslexic was validating for me.” He is currently working on a book that will feature both stories and pictures about his life and his Grand Canyon art.
Chris Navarro
When Chris Navarro was growing up, he wanted to be a cowboy. He was given a horse at 12 and rode him everywhere. He even competed in rodeo. He rode broncs and bulls for years, but left after about five years. After quitting bull riding, he felt that something was missing. He soon discovered just what that something was. At 23, Chris saw a beautiful bronze sculpture of a cowboy riding a horse that literally changed his life. Chris wanted to buy it, but when he found how much it cost, he decided he could make his own. So he purchased supplies from a store in Casper, Wyoming, checked out books from the library and got to work.
“Born a Buckaroo,” Monumental Bronze
In 1986, he quit his job working in the oil fields of Wyoming to pursue sculpting full-time. At the time, he had two kids and a mortgage. It was risky, but his big leap ultimately paid off. “There are times in life when you must make a stand and turn your dreams into reality. I just knew it; I knew it deep inside. I believed my instincts,” he says. Today, Chris is thriving. His Navarro Gallery and Sculpture Garden in Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village is celebrating its 24th year. He’s written four books and has placed 36 bronze sculptures all over the country.
“Autumn’s Challenge,” Monumental Bronze
His work is also in 12 museum collections. Despite all the success, he says that creating art is always a challenge. “The secret and challenge to being an artist is that you must make art, and lots of it, because there are no shortcuts. It is about commitment, day by day, year after year. Your mastery of a craft is directly proportional to the sheer number of hours you spend in the effort,” he says. “When others look at my life’s work, I hope it will light a spark in them to be inspired to follow their own dreams. Life is too short not to.”
Patricia Saxton
Artist Patricia Saxton has been painting, drawing and writing for as long as she can remember. Her favorite tool? A number two pencil, which she uses for illustrating, sketching and creating designs of her paintings. When she’s working on canvas, she opts for oils and acrylics. “Art is in my veins. It’s something I cannot ‘not’ do,” she says. Patricia told us she felt that her art journey officially started way back in first grade when her classmates asked her to draw a girl’s face with a swirly hairdo. Her work now hangs in many private collections, and she has lead art retreats in Austria. In addition to being a fine artist, she also has authored and illustrated three children’s books and ran a graphic design and illustration business.
“Cathedral Rock,” Acrylic on Canvas
“While I love all the aspects of my creative life, the ongoing thread of expression through fine art feels the most pressing. In that space, there is a sense of freedom as well as joy, a certain kind of peace, and the wonderment of creating something of lasting beauty that has the potential to touch someone else’s heart,” she says. “My approach, whether realistic or abstract, relies heavily on observance and imagination and is both disciplined and intuitive.
“I Am Grace,” Oil on Canvas
My philosophy? Probably more along the lines of listening to what the soul wants to say, with art as the medium. Creativity is my life breath, and every piece is a fresh slate.” She also tells us she drinks plenty of black tea (with a dollop of milk), loves being a mom to her grown daughter, has never met a swim lane she won’t use and appreciates all forms of nature. Nature is also a common subject in her artwork.
“Storm,” Oil on Canvas
“Whether the delicious curve of a pear or a more raw, abstract landscape, I’m forever astonished by nature: her tones, resilience, restlessness, symbolism and sheer beauty,” she says. “Combining that with an inherent interest in distilling the complex into the simple and finding peace amid chaos, my work mingles real with imaginary, bridging the physical and spiritual worlds.”
“Shiraz”
Tom & Jean Heffernan
Tom and Jean Heffernan craft striking art mirrors that are inspired by the Southwest. The couple did not have any kind of background in the arts before getting into the industry. Tom was previously a psychologist and Jean worked in the legal field. In 2006, the couple quit their jobs, sold nearly all of their possessions and moved to a remote village in the Aleutian Island chain of Alaska that was home to just 30 people. They lived off the grid and typically spent no more than three hours with others. It was there in extreme isolation that the couple figured out their next steps.
“Copper Clouds”
“In this environment we spent our time staying safe and surviving the elements. We walked endless hours on the beach, talked, read innumerable books and watched DVDs. It was here that we exposed a need to express our creativity, optimism and passion for beauty in an artistic way. The isolation helped us to realize that we wanted to celebrate people,” says Jean. So 18 years ago, they got to work creating art mirrors and have been at it ever since. The couple is also creating mixed media pieces sans mirrors. “We like our home filled with beautiful, well-designed furnishings and art. Not finding what we want in the normal way, we make our own. We use copper, steel and wood to create mirrors, wall hangings and other functional pieces, like tables, countertops and barn doors,” the couple says.
“Night Lights”
“I aim to make art that is interesting and beautiful. Work that attracts the eye and holds it. In doing so, it arouses the viewers’ senses,” says Tom. “We are formally retired from our previous lives. So our new lives as working artists have become a second career for us. Bringing joy and beauty into people’s lives and homes is our lifeblood. It keeps us young, alive and in a constant state of renewal,” the couple says.
Liz Alpert
A retired painting professor told Liz Alpert she had what it took to make it as an artist. Flash forward to 40 years later, and she began pursuing her dream of becoming a full-time fine artist. She is mostly a plein air artist but also works with acrylics, pastels, water-based oils and watercolors. “Painting to me is a completely intuitive experience. Jumping into a painting is similar to taking on any challenge in life. It may seem daunting or overwhelming in the beginning, but the minute you start, everything seems to flow,” she says. “My hope is to bring balance, harmony and excitement through my work and presence.”
Robert Albrecht
Robert Albrecht has been a pro photographer since 1972 and a digital artist since 2003. He creates digital paintings using digital brushes and technology from reference images. They’re not photographs. In his work, he mostly captures wildlife. “It is important to give meaning to those beautiful animals and wildlife that possess a heart, a soul and are a precious life with which we share our planet. I feel the need to give a voice through my art to those magnificent animals so that they can be appreciated and acknowledged,” says Robert. He volunteered with and was on the board for the Humane Society of Sedona for several years.
Jen Farnsworth
Painter Jen Farnsworth started making art when she was a little kid. Oil paint is at the center of her vibrant art that often depicts animals. “My great inspirations have always been wildlife and nature and my passion to express what I see is with bold and beautiful color. Through my art, I hope to convey the absolute beauty of all the life around us,” she says. “Someone once said, ‘You can’t paint blue and red coyotes.’ I thought, ‘But I see blue, and red and purple and green coyotes.’ Art can change people, lives, society and even how people see the world around them.”
Robert Holton
The image on the cover of this magazine was created by Robert Holton. His grandfather and mother were both artists. As a young person, he was inspired by Andy Warhol. He started a screen printing business with his father. That company eventually became a graphic design company that just celebrated 40 years in business. He started making his pop art paintings 20 years ago as a way to cope with the loss of his first wife to breast cancer. “I create my art with water-based enamel paints, a combination of Jackson Pollock meets Andy Warhol. Over the years I have created art for many companies, combining their logo in my unique drizzle style,” says Robert. He and his current wife moved to Sedona about seven months ago. Robert was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years ago, and they were looking for a stair-less home. They both work out of home studios and admire the views when creating.
Mary Helsaple
Mary Helsaple has a bachelor’s of fine arts from San Francisco State University in the fine arts and has always explored the natural world both in person and via her artwork. She teaches at the Sedona Arts Center and out of her studio. “My watercolors and acrylic works are done in the narrative style with finely detailed images of plants, birds, animals and insects and portray Earth’s unique natural environments. Artists are observers and visual storytellers, so adding these symbolic representations into my art seems only natural,” she says. Mary is also an avid birdwatcher. Her partner Neal Williams and friends even call her the “bird whisperer.”
Nicholas Kirsten Honshin
Nicholas Kirsten Honshin is the owner of his two eponymous galleries in Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. He started painting when he was only seven, and he mostly works in acrylics. He also creates ceramics, poetry, jewelry and bronzes. “I consider nature to be the greatest artist. I believe that our experience in nature inspires all art,” he says. “The purpose of my artwork is to demonstrate symbolically through color, light and form the consciousness of all things and the beauty of the universe. My prayer is that my art and poetry will help ease the suffering and pain of our world with a moment of beauty and peace.”
Rachel Tucker
Painter Rachel Tucker serves as the assistant art director at Goldenstein Gallery and runs Sedona Canvas Creations, where she teaches Sedona locals and visitors about how to paint plein air. She likes to keep her skills diverse. She works with watercolor, charcoal, acrylic and gold leaf and creates paintings in series. “My philosophy with art is that everyone is an artist, and it’s about tapping into what inspires your soul. We all start somewhere, and Sedona supports and fosters self-expression,” she says. “This arts community is deeply entwined in the fabric of what makes Sedona special, and I feel blessed every day that I’m able to immerse myself in the beauty.”
Russell DeHaven
Russell DeHaven’s mediums include ceramics in addition to stained and fused glass. Following a 30-year career in design and branding, he became a pro artist. “What I find most gratifying about being an artist is the profound connection I sense between spiritual energy and the act of creating art,” he says. Details are everything to Russell. “I’m particularly captivated by the intricate patterns found in physics, sacred geometry, fractal dimensions and nature’s wonders,” he says. “I find that the minutia is what creates the most captivating and harmonious compositions. I want to ignite curiosity and wonder in the viewer by capturing and magnifying these often-overlooked patterns and details.”
Wayne B. Light
Wayne B. Light grew up in the jewelry business and started designing professionally when he moved to Sedona in 1988. He works with gold, colorful gemstones and diamonds. “I had an early appreciation for beautiful jewelry,” he says. “I usually let the gemstones speak to me and direct the item that I am designing. It seems I usually find an interestingly beautiful gemstone and then become inspired to design something unique just for that gemstone. So most of my pieces are one-of-a-kind items.” He spends his free time hiking, cooking and with friends. He says he’s happiest when he’s in the great outdoors.
Dann Powers
Musician and painter Dann Powers owns an eponymous gallery in town. He’s also been an artist for over 34 years and mostly creates acrylic paintings. He says painting has a wonderful, relaxing effect, which makes it his favorite medium to work in. “I am driven and most described as doing everything by others, but would describe myself as not being afraid of trying or failing at any creative venture,” says Dann. “New ideas are not a problem and most times, I cannot get those done before new ones come, so I have never been bored.”
Nicole Zenhausern
Geneva, Switzerland native and long-time Sedona resident Nicole Zenhausern travels the world to capture her stellar photographs. “I love improving my technical abilities in all facets of digital photography,” she says. “I enjoy planning travels to discover new places, and I am not afraid to face challenging locations.” She mostly photographs landscapes, wildlife and night photography. Nicole took up photography professionally about eight years ago and even gives photography tours of the Southwest and international locations. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, camping, playing with her tricolor collie dog Max and exploring the Southwest.
