For nearly three months, beginning in mid-January, the Celebration of Fine Art takes over the southwest corner of Hayden Road and the Loop 101 in Scottsdale, Arizona, its distinctive white tent creating a temporary home for the working studios of 100 artists from around the country.
Browse 40,000 square feet of gallery-studio space featuring a spectrum of mediums, genres and styles.Now in its 33rd year, the juried invitational has earned a reputation as one of the West’s premier art shows and working studio events. For a minimal entry fee that is valid for the duration of the show, which runs from January 14 through March 26, attendees will have the opportunity to explore more than 40,000 square feet of studio/gallery space featuring the work of painters, sculptors, photographers, wood workers, metalsmiths; jewelry, glass and fiber artists, and many more. Beyond the sheer amount of talent to explore, collectors will have the chance to watch the artists in action and speak with them about their craft—all of which makes any work of art more meaningful.
Artist Shannon Leigh is one of the 100 artists who will be showing and creating art during this year’s Celebration of Fine Art.
A true festival of art, it attracts a bounty of top-tier artists working across all mediums and genres in the Arizona desert during its prime time of year. For many returning artists the event is an annual reunion to celebrate friendships forged at the event, lending an extra touch of jubilance to the atmosphere.
“There’s no place where the art comes to life like the Celebration of Fine Art,” says Susan Morrow Potje, co-owner and show director. “Over the course of our more than 30-year history, the Celebration of Fine Art has remained a place for artists and art lovers to connect in a meaningful way. It’s all about discovery and experience—discovering and experiencing new artists, mediums and artwork. It truly is a celebration of art and connection.”
Among the many talented artists juried into this year’s show is watercolorist Heidi Rosner who finds living in Arizona an endless source of inspiration. “I’m passionate about flora and fauna, love hiking and gardening and am a lover of all things desert,” says Rosner, who is also a self-proclaimed bird fanatic. “Since I spend so much time appreciating nature, it is a simple transition for me to express my love of the outdoors in my art,” she adds. 
Heidi Rosner, Desert Blush, watercolor on canvas, 24 x 24"
Rosner aims to take her collectors on a journey. “It happens when they connect with a painting of mine because of their love of nature or the desert or the creatures I paint. It transports them to a different place where they have memories of a mood, a special day or a notable event. I believe that this emotional response is the best reason to add a painting to one’s collection.”
Rebecca Pashia is a self-taught artist who, after earning an interior design degree from Kansas State University, immediately started painting custom art for indoor spaces. She has continued to do so for 35 years. 
Rebecca Pashia, Moonlight, oil, 54 x 40"“I slip paint across a canvas with a large spatula and work the surface until it ‘suggests’ something,” the artist says of her process.
“I strive to paint loosely with raw expression shining through in both my abstracts and my landscapes. The things we can’t physically touch—wind, light, atmosphere, music, color, movement and life—are what I love to represent.” Pashia will often find inspiration for a new work in a photograph, but after that initial spark, she puts it aside and forces herself to paint from a vague memory of the image. “ My ultimate purpose is to enlighten as many people as I can.” Her advice to collectors is to “look for paintings that haunt you after you walk away. Art that makes you wonder, that inspires you, that speaks to people in different ways, is the transitional art that will enhance your life and grow with you for years to come.” 
Heidi Rosner, Branch Manager, watercolor on canvas, 16 x 48"Drawing inspiration from key values in their lives including their roots in Mexico, nature, faith, family and friends, Veronica and Gabriel Sandoval, of Veronica Sandoval Fine Art find that their colorful works of repoussé—metal hammered from the reverse to create a low relief design—resonate with a wide audience of art lovers. “Our creations find homes with many—the non-religious who still find comfort in a cross, the faithful seeking tangible symbols of their faith and the wounded who find peace in the work,” says Veronica. “Our artwork carries part of our being, our passion, energy and inspiration …We don’t do anything without putting ourselves into it.”
In Fancy Meeting You Here, Leah Kiser, of Artifact Fine Art, combines two fantastical ideas she’s been cultivating in the genre of imaginative realism—feather boa cats and lace fish. It portrays a moment in which the peculiar figures turn around to see one another for the first time—one can only imagine what will happen next.
From left: Veronica and Gabriel Sandoval, Africa and Aspen Tree, repoussé, 32 x 24"; Leah Kiser, Fancy Meeting You Here, oil on linen, 40 x 40"; Shari Lyon, Albero Sottile, encaustic and oil, 48 x 36"“I enjoy painting beautiful textures that are challenging to represent—the lace with its transparency and intricate details and the feathers with their catawampus postures—they excite my senses,” Kiser says. “Transforming these textures into animals with character and movement is quite challenging and time consuming but it adds an element of magic and fun.”
Diana Ferguson is often asked if her intricate bead designs are tedious to complete. Her response? “With a smile, I reply that it’s a noisy world and that for me the work is blissfully meditative. I fully enjoy the time-consuming yet contemplative aspects of bead-weaving and treasure how it allows me to fully immerse myself in the process of creating.”
Diana Ferguson, Splendiferous, brooch, glass cylinder beads, monofilament thread, handblown glass focal, 3½ x 4"
Ferguson also enjoys the elegance of off-loom bead weaving, particularly geometric and architectural beadwork, as seen in her one-of-a-kind brooches and bangles. She finds harmony, peace and serenity in the simple movements of stitching as the needle passes through beads over and over again. While the end result of her efforts may remain elusive until the piece announces itself done, she is certain the outcome will contain beauty. “There’s a delightful amount of innovation available to discover in contemporary iterations of this age-old art form,” she notes.
Judith Dickinson, Three Amigos, oil, 24 x 30"; Veronica and Gabriel Sandoval, Sonoran Desert Beauty, repoussé, 46 x 32"
Artist Shari Lyon is drawn to the imagery and symbolism of trees. “I love that people generally have a universal response and connection to the different meanings that trees can have to different people, religions and cultures,” says the artist. “Trees are stoic, grounded, life-giving and lasting. They are calming and provide vital oxygen for our every breath.” 
Heidi Rosner, Triple Threat, watercolor on cradled board, 36 x 36"
Lyon also loves to work with abstract landscapes, preferring not to replicate an exact place or time but to create an invitation to a place where the viewer can create the narrative and emotion for themselves. “The encaustic process (an ancient technique of painting with molten wax and a torch) lends itself to very moody, emotional landscapes,” she says. “Perfect for dreaming of those long-off places you wish to explore…These places are a respite to calm and center me. Places where I can take in healing deep breaths equal to a good yoga session.” 
Rebecca Pashia, Evening Glory, oil, 48 x 48"“Portrayal of light in the depiction of the beauty of my world is my main goal to accomplish,” explains artist Judith Dickinson. “I believe my responsibility as an artist is to ‘talk’ about the particular world in which I live. My greatest love is to show the character, the story and the beauty of the people who surround me,” she continues. “Since I live in the West, I try to bring emotion and character to my paintings of Native Americans and the people of the West.” The artist also works in Africa and feels “compelled to honor these beautiful and courageous people, and to tell their stories by painting them.” One of her goals is to take commissioned portraiture beyond the level of mere “likeness” and capture the heart and personality of her subject. —
Celebration of Fine Art
When: January 14-March 26, 2023. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
Where: 18400 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Information: (480) 443-7695, www.celebrateart.com
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