Page 15 - the NOISE November 2013

Sky Over Tlaquepaque by Renate Lichter is featured at the ACF Gallery this First Friday ArtWalk.
the photo and noticed the incredible details of the plant, the lichen on the rocks, the grass- es, and the toe of my boot in the lower right hand corner which I opted to remove and re- place with another rock.”
One piece of Ms. Lichter’s stands out against the rest and catches my attention, I ask her about this particular piece, Sky Over Tlaquepaque. “Most of what I paint comes from a spontaneous impression of a beautiful moment in time,” Ms. Lichter explains. “Some- thing I notice, see, and mostly feel. I was tak- ing a walk through Tlaquepaqe in Sedona and the sun was starting to set. I looked straight up instead of toward the sunset. The win- ter sky was so glorious framed by the bare branches of the trees below. I couldn’t resist it and knew I had to record that moment in time through a painting.”
Since I last talked with Ms. Lichter she tells me of the changes in her art. “This year’s cre- ative process was a little different than in other years,” she says. “I started with my inspiration piece, Overlooking the Sacred Confluence, and from there thought of what other gems might not be far from Flagstaff. I shot lots of photos, took notes, went on numerous hikes, made many sketches and so my show evolved. I had the great pleasure of watching the sun set and then rise again over the Sacred Confluence on the Navajo Reservation last December. I knew I had to pay homage to the sublime gran- deur of this precious sight. That became the foundation for this year’s show. I thought of All Things Wild and Wonderful and although time would not allow me to paint 100 or more paintings (and that certainly would have been my ideal) I wanted to capture a few: the en- dangered Mexican Gray Wolf, the coveted Na- vajo Churro Sheep, the wild horses on open land, prickly pear cactus, oak leaves, pine needles and lichen on rocks, the landscapes, skies and the incomparable beautiful nature that blesses Northern Arizona.”
I ask Ms. Lichter about her skies she conveys through paint so well. “I love painting skies, I guess it shows? I have been painting skies since I was a young girl. I have always been fascinated by clouds, cloud formations and all the amazing colors that appear above me. As a kid I enjoyed lying in the grass and watching the clouds float by ... When I first started paint- ing clouds I used my fingers to blend, it wasn’t the easiest thing to do as a kid. I soon moved away from that and mastered the portrayal of skies, sometimes using more of a dry brush technique and other times painting with me- dium for more fluidity. Landscapes and sky- scapes are my favorite things to paint. Big Skies represent freedom and wings, an end- less realm for me to explore and ultimately escape to a place of peace as I paint.”
The Artists’ Coalition of Flagstaff’s Gal- lery is located at 111 E. Aspen and is open for the First Friday ArtWalk on November 1, from 6PM to 9PM. Flagstaff-arts.org
VISIONS OF FINE ART
The Sedona Area Guild of Artists (SAGA) presents, SAGA: Visions of Fine Art Show at the Old Marketplace in Sedona this November.
“SAGA artists will be in attendance, ready to meet the public and share the stories about their art, their life, and their visions,” says Vice President Georgia Michalicek. “Artwork in- cludes everything from large brass sculptures to smaller wood carvings, oil, acrylic, and wa- ter color paintings, photography, digital art, and ceramics. Many of the new artists who were invited to join the organization in Sep- tember this year will be showing their art and greeting the public at this festive time of year.”
Ms. Michalicek tells me how she came to be a part of SAGA. “I entered the SAGA 2012 Spring Exhibition and was named one of the Best Artists of Sedona in 2012 for my photo- graph titled, Cathedral Pools,” she explains. “I also connected with Mr. Buley as a colleague,
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thenoise.us • the NOISE arts & news • NOVEMBER 2013 • 15