Art In The Desert

What is it about the Southwest that attracts artists -- the mountains, desert landscapes, the light, the accomodating weather? Whatever it is, there is a thriving art community throughout Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and California. It is one of the things that drew Carolyn and me here.

Scottsdale and Sedona are well known Meccas, but Prescott also has a thriving art scene and a number of galleries.

Recently we had the pleasure of meeting Charles Huckeba, a local artist, who has a gallery in town. Charles and his wife, Jill, travel the Southwest studying ancient petroglyphs left by native populations. This prehistoric rock art infuses his contemporary abstract and representational work.

We purchased two of his works. It was hard to choose from the many wonderful works in his studio. This is "Miro's Magic," an abstract inspired by petroglyphic and pictographic images as well as by the Spanish surrealist painter, Joan Miro. Typical of Charles' style, this painting has many layers. Under the surface is another other abstract work. By etching through the top layers, colors and shadings show through from below.

The second piece is "Hunter's Rain," a more representational work inspired by rock art Charles saw in Horse Canyon, Utah. Surrounding the petroglyph is an abstract border suggesting rain, a sacred element in desert life.

Charles was kind enough to spend time showing us his studio and talking about his art and the process he uses to produce it.

On Friday, Carolyn and I went down to Scottsdale to see the Arizona Fine Art Expo.

115 artists participate in the event which lasts 10 weeks!

Many not only display and sell their works but also work in a studio-like environment.

We enjoyed talking with so many artists in an unhurried atmosphere. They were all enthusiastic to share their art and experience.

The talent was incredible. There were so many whose work we loved. Here are just a few we met:

Robert Burt from Santa Fe, NM paints warm vibrant works with acryllic.

Dwight Bennett, from Phoenix, sculpts with Ironwood and other woods then inlays silver in his pieces.

Lance Headlee, from nearby Anthem, AZ, paints cowboys usually with yellow slickers.

His work is always big and bold and sometimes whimsical as here with "The Long Ride West."

It was a treat for Carolyn and I to meet Bob Coonts from Ft. Collins, CO. a wonderful man and artist. We first saw his work on display in Charles Huckeba's gallery in Prescott.

Bob does landscape and animal pictures that mix realism and abstract art.

We are now saving our money for one of his paintings which we will pass on to Ben someday.

We had a lunch in the statuary garden where many of the scultors display their work. We soaked in the strong sun of a January day on the desert floor.

There were so many other artists we had the opportunity to meet and enjoy their creativity. We will undoubtedly go back several more times before the Expo closes in March.

On Sunday, we headed south again to go to the Carefee Art Fair and Wine Festival. Leaving our neighborhood, we could see snow on the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff 90 miles away.



In Carefree, which is just north of Scottsdale, it was a warm sunny day in the low 70's.


There were artists from throughout the Southwest as well as from the Phoenix area.



Nearly every media was represented from watercolor to concrete.



We even met an artist named Sara Lawless.


The hit of the day, however, was the Great Dane. Big crowds gathered wherever he was.


We had another great day and were reluctant to head home.


But the most beautiful picture of the day was the sky on the way back to Prescott.

Meals On Wheels

Like many, I have always harbored a secret ambition to own a restaurant. I guess only good fortune has kept that dream from coming true. Since coming to Prescott however, an outlet for that passion was found when Carolyn volunteered us to work for Meals On Wheels.


Every Thursday morning we drive the Orange Route for Prescott's MOW program, delivering meals to about 20 people on the south side of town. Our route takes us over hill and dale and through the woods. Often to some pretty remote locations.


A couple of the homes we go to are entirely outside Prescott in the surrounding national forest.





The program delivers meals to folks who need some level of assistance. It also provides an opportunity to check daily on people who live alone or who are in poor health. It's a good day when everyone is home and able to get around.


We have really enjoyed getting to know the people on our route. One of our favorites is Frances. She is 91 year old sweetie who lives alone in her trailer. Each week she proudly tells us that she is "still here" and brings us up to date on the health of her son who is 67 and lives out of state.


Another person we enjoying visiting with is Evelyn. Evelyn was a Meals On Wheels volunteer for a number of years. Her health no longer permits that but she likes to catch up on the news each time we come by. She shared a bit of her life with us today. Her husband was a Canadian who obtained US citizenship so he could join the military here.

Another benefit of driving around the area for Meals On Wheels is that we get to do some sightseeing. You never know what you're going to encounter. Today as we were approaching Evelyn's house, Carolyn spotted some javelinas in the front yard of one of her neighbors. There were six of them just sunning themselves on this beautiful day.


Later we saw this tassel-eared squirrel. I'm intriqued by them because they look so different from what we were used to in the Midwest. They are grey with white bellies and have tufts of hair on their ears. They only live in isolated mountainous areas of Arizona, New Mexico, southeast Utah, and Colorado.


Last week we had a deer stop in the road in front of us until he had satisified his curiosity with us and ambled off into the woods. We didn't see him today but we did see Comet here still relaxing after the Christmas holidays.



We also get to meet all of the dogs. We always deliver doggie treats with our meals. Dobey has become a steadfast friend. He loves all the attention we can give him.


Roger, on the otherhand, only comes out when we are in the car. When we get out he runs for the pet door; when we leave he comes out to bark at us. We've given him a box and a half of Milk Bones to this point but so far he's not showing any love.



Twenty miles and twenty friends later, we're done. It's time to return the hot food and cold food containers, complete the paperwork, then call it a day.




Next Thursday we'll be back. We hope everyone's well and anxious to see us coming down the road.

A Day At Lake Pleasant

Yesterday, Carolyn and I took our kayak down to Lake Pleasant about 35 miles northwest of Phoenix.


The recreational area has a lake of 10,000 acres and another 16,000 for hiking and camping.


The lake is set in a rocky desert terrain with sparse vegetation. Saguaro cacti dominate the landscape.


We took the kayak for a "spin" on the lake, enjoyed a picnic on the water and soaked up the sun on a 75 degree day.

(Don't tell Carolyn she's doing all the paddling. She hasn't figured that out yet that I'm not doing my share.)


This buoy captures perfectly how Carolyn and I get around in our little craft.


Afterwards we took a hike on the Pipeline Canyon Trail near the lake. It turned out to be the highlight of our day.


In Prescott we don't have the Saguaro cactus because of our altitude. But here they flourish in Saguaro forests. Its range is limited to southern Arizona, southeastern California, western New Mexico, and northen Mexico.


It is the largest cactus in the US. Although it can grow as high as 40 feet, it grows very slowly, only an inch a year. It takes nearly 65 years before it begins to grow its first arm.


This one here with the six arms is certainly more than 200 years old.


This one, on the otherhand, is probably 30 years old or so.


The ribs of the stem are heavily spined.


The two inch long downward pointing spines serve a variety of purposes: protecting the cactus, directing rain into its depressions, cooling the outer skin, providing insulation, and redirecting the wind.


We learned a lot along the way. Perhaps most important of all ... NEVER kiss a cactus!


The Saguaro is protected by the US government because it was beginning to disappear from the landscape.


We had a great day. We hated to see it come to an end.