The magnificent red rocks of Sedona have inspired some to see enchanting visions of fantasy and others to seek spiritual solace. Sedona's beauty has reached out to many creative souls. Many movies have been made here, books have been written about its charms, dramatic photographs have found their way into beautiful coffee table books, and artists have been drawn here in numbers to form what has become a thriving art colony in the midst of the red cliffs and fragrant pine trees of the Coconino National Forest . Sedona has over fifty art galleries and plans are underway to build a 60,000 square-foot network of artist's studios in the nearby village of Oak Creek .

It is the art works of two particular artists we wish to share with you here. One is a seemingly impossible combination of cowboy and painter, and the other is a sculptor who has always been inspired by the beauty and complexity of the human form.

Joe Beeler
Joe Beeler has always been artistically inclined; as far back as he can remember. He started to draw and paint when he was a kid and got more serious and motivated as he grew older. He grew up in Quawpaw, Oklahoma, where he learned to ride and rope and loved everything about the old West. His great hero was Charlie Russell, a famous cowboy and artist from Montana who amassed a serious body of Western art during his lifetime. Thankfully, his mother encouraged his sketching of cowpokes and Indian warriors, for Joe was destined for the acclaim that used to be Charlie Russell's

After Joe finished his military service in Korea, he married fellow artist Sharon McPherson in 1956. He first studied at Tulsa University and then earned a degree in fine art from Kansas State College. Afterwards, he and Sharon traveled across the country to Los Angeles to do further studies at the Art Center School there. After Joe and Sharon returned to Oklahoma to live in a small cabin in the country, Joe began in earnest to try to earn his living as an artist. It was tough going and in 1961 he and Sharon decided to pull up stakes and resettle among the awe-inspiring red rocks of Sedona. Joe had never forgotten the beauty of Sedona when he had worked there as a ranch hand years before. He established his studio and before long, his talent and artistry found a new audience - success was finally his. With a chuckle in his voice, Joe says, "I sold my first painting when I was 16 years old, and never sold another one until I was thirty!"

Over the years he has done a lot of one-man shows in most of the major Western art galleries. Joe has illustrated many books about Western life - about 80-90 of them. He also has written and illustrated several art books and, in turn, has had books written about him and his art - the most recent being a beautiful coffee table book, Life Of A Cowboy , by his friend of 40 years, Don Hedgpath. To appreciate the extent of his work, a search of his name on the Amazon web site will bring up 505 references!

In addition to his rich and colorfully detailed paintings, Joe has also done some wonderful sculptures - most recently, one of the late Senator Barry Goldwater. The nine-foot bronze of Goldwater, who was also Joe's long-time friend, was commissioned by the town of Paradise Valley, where Goldwater retired after serving over thirty years in the U.S. Senate. "It was a great honor for me to do this sculpture," said Joe. "I consider Barry Goldwater one of the great Americans and great Arizonans."
Eddie Basha, of Basha's supermarket chain, owns over two hundred of Joe's works - the largest private collector of his art. Joe has also been honored with a bronze statue of himself, which will stand on a site in uptown Sedona. It was created by another of Sedona's well-known artists, sculptor Clyde Ross Morgan. I asked Joe how he feels about the fame that has come his way. "No different than I felt before, he replied. "I just go along with it. Of course, I eat a bit more regularly."

Joe is proud of the fact that he is one of the co-founders (currently its Director) of the Cowboy Artists of America - the famous federation of cowboy artists. In 1965, Joe and two other cowboys, Charlie Dye and John Hampton, dreamed up the organization while they were on a roundup in Sonora, Mexico . Like Joe, Charlie and John were also cowboy artists, painters of the rugged Western scene of mountains and prairies, horses and cattle, cowpunchers and Indians. The Cowboy Artists have been going strong all these years and still hold their meetings at the Cowboy Club in Sedona (formerly known as the Oak Creek Tavern), the background of many a movie scene. The organization's big event each year is their annual show and sale at the Phoenix Art Museum . This is the only time of the year when the entire membership of the Cowboy Artists of America gather together to display and sell their art works. The event attracts collectors from all around the world. Last year's event set a record gross sales of over $2.6 million. This year's exhibition at the Phoenix Museum will run from October 25 to November 24 and the art sale will be held on October 21, 2005.

Unfortunately, sorrow comes to all of us. Joe's wife of over 40 years, Sharon, passed away last fall. He misses her terribly, but he gets a lot of delight from his grandson John, who visits him in his studio often. Joe's son moved here recently with his wife and son to be closer to his father and work with him in his studio. Joe's daughter also inherited the artistic talents of her mother and father and is living in Florence, Italy, working and studying as a sculptor.

Never one to sit and rest on his saddle, Joe has been working away on a two-man show that he and John Moyers (a fellow member and Vice President of the Cowboy Artists) will present on the July 4 th weekend at the Claggett-Rey Galleries in Vail, Colorado. The show is entitled, Viva Mexico, an exhibition of art depicting the colorful period of the Mexican Revolution. "I like to work," Joe says. "I still feel the fire in my belly with my work."

This is no cardboard cowboy we have here. Joe has been riding and roping his whole life. His property in Sedona boasts a barn with real, live horses and clucking chickens. His studio is crowded with works in progress and the souvenirs of the old West - rifles, bows and arrows, war bonnets, saddles and such. Not too long ago, he traveled to several ranches in Texas, helping the cowboys gather up and brand the cattle. He's been to ranches all over the West and he loves history. At 73 years old, Joe can still rope, but always finds time to work every day in his studio. Charlie Russell would have been proud.

John Henry Waddell
Bodies in motion - that phrase just about sums up what makes John Henry Waddell tick and what has inspired the powerful sculptures that are so intriguing to so many. John lives and works in nearby Cornville and is a very strong presence within Sedona's art scene. In his sculpture garden, three of John's sculptural groupings are displayed - Celebration , a gathering of family members of several generations, Expulsion From The Garden Of Eden , depicting Adam and Eve leaving the garden (a metaphor for our Earth), saddened by the environmental damage caused by human beings, and Circle of Womanhood .

John also has many beautiful pieces in the Phoenix area, at such locations as the Phoenix Art Museum, Glendale Community College, and the Scottsdale City Hall, to name a few. One of the most well known of his sculptural ensembles is Dance in front of the Herberger Theater. To illustrate how dedicated John is to getting the right form and composition for his work, he took dance lessons so that he would be able to express the dancers' movement and the relationships involved in dance. Another of his works is That Which Might Have Been, Birmingham, 1963, located at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation Of Phoenix at 4027 E. Lincoln Drive in Paradise Valley . The four figures portrayed in the Birmingham piece depict the four girls who were killed in the church bombing in 1963 as they might have been had they been able to grow up - a very moving piece of art about an event that affected him deeply.

His art has also been recognized both nationally and internationally. Two of his works, Apogee and Momentum are displayed at the National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows, New York and his work, Flutist , beautifies The National Louis University Center for the Performing Arts in Evanston, Illinois . Art patrons all over the world have collected his work and his pieces can be found in private collections in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Detroit and Vienna . Several books have been published about John's work: The Beauty of Individual Differences : John Henry Waddell; The Art and the Artist; and Soul: An Interpretation of a Sculpture by John Henry Waddell: Harry Wood .

John has been interested in art as far back as he can remember. At seven, he had already started art school and was making clay sculpture. At thirteen, he apprenticed himself to a painter, Katherine Lord. He used to clean her studio and later, at sixteen, he taught figure drawing and painting there in exchange for lessons. He completed his academic studies at the University of Chicago and studied art at the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago. At twenty-one, John had his first one-man exhibit in Peoria, Illinois. After serving in the military, he received two M.F.A.'s in Fine Arts and Arts Education, courtesy of the G.I. Bill. In 1957 he and his family moved to Arizona, where he headed the art education department at Arizona State University . He left the university when he was forty to devote his life totally to his sculpture. A patron of the arts offered John a place to work - Spring Creek Ranch, a 25-acre site in Cornville - and John and Ruth moved there in 1970.

What inspires John? " I was always an observer, a bystander, even though through my work I became an activist," he replied. "It seems I was always aware of others.  As a child I was immersed in observation to the point of obsessiveness." He continued, "I look to other human beings for my sculpture and also to nature for my paintings. Human beings and their great range and complexity inspire me. My work is concerned with the beauty of each individual, not stereotypes of beauty, which I think cause a lot of problems today. Do you know that we spend more on cosmetics and cosmetic surgery in this country than we do on education? My interest has always been in other human beings, particularly their essences as reflected in their physical bodies - the bodies that change from moment to moment are never the same."

John is a young 84 years old now and he and Ruth - his wife, partner, and best friend - are still very active creating and experimenting in their huge, hangar-sized studio. Ruth's drawings and paintings and John's works-in-progress fill the room. The studio even has its own foundry for casting John's sculptures. His sculptures, which have been placed throughout his property in Cornville, can be viewed by appointment. In addition to being artists, they are also parents. They have a big family - six children, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild - all of them living in California .

When asked why his art is still so important to him, John replied, "I don't know why it's so satisfying - all the visual arts are satisfying to me. I suppose it's like solving a problem -- I try to capture the mysteries of life, which is very difficult. When you grasp some part of the meaning of life, it's very satisfying. It's certainly not a way of making a living. You do it because you enjoy it. If you start to imitate yourself because the work has become successful, then it loses its joy. It becomes too automatic."

Michelangelo was reported to have said, "It is well with me only when I have a chisel in my hand." We think John Henry Waddell feels the same.

INFO> www.artbywaddell.com

Sedona's Art Happenings

Sedona Arts Center
The non-profit Sedona Arts Center is one of the best-organized arts centers in the country. It was established in 1958 by a group of people who saw the need for such a center in artistic Sedona. The center holds many art classes taught by experts trained in the arts and also hosts many interesting events for the public. Following is the upcoming calendar of events for the center.

Evening In The Galleries
July 7, August 4, September 1, October 6, November 3, December 1 (Thursdays) 5pm - 8pm. Sedona's finest galleries, including the Sedona Arts Center, host a monthly event, featuring openings and special events on the first Thursday of every month.

25th Annual Members Exhibition
July 7 - August 28 all day. This juried exhibition showcases member artists and features unique art in a variety of media - a great opportunity for both artists and buyers of fine art.

Collage Workshop - Claudine Hellmuth
August 19 - 22. A workshop that focuses on composition and design principles of collage art works - also students will experiment with printmaking and transfer methods.

Plein Oil Workshop - Kevin McCain
September 19 - 23. Emphasis will be placed on painting the landscape from life outdoors, starting and finishing in one session. Emphasis will also be on learning to interpret the landscape through simplification of detail, seeing structure and enhancing feeling of mood.

Water media and Collage - Carole Myers
September 19 - 23. This class will include abstract design, abstracting from representational material, as well as dealing with organic and inorganic motifs.

Plein Air Workshop In Greece - George Strickland
September 24 - October 8. George Strickland, President of Plein Air Painters of America, will conduct this workshop on the beautiful Greek island of Poros . Four days will be spent painting in the village and at other locations on the island during the remainder of the trip.

Clay Immersion Workshop in Taos - Dennis Ott
September 26 - 30. Pottery instructor Dennis Ott will lead a special guided workshop taught by Jerri Track, the octogenarian matriarch of a prominent Taos Pueblo artistic family. This Native American artist will demonstrate what clay tells us about culture and about ourselves.

Mixed Media Workshop In Tuscany - Jan Sitts
September 26 - 30. Join Jan Stitt for a special cultural experience - the marriage of landscape and spirit - and come home renewed. This class will take place at the Villa Fattoria Bacio in the heart of Tuscany .

Watercolor Portrait Workshop in Tuscany - Ted Nuttall
September 26 - 30. Join Ted Nuttall on a figure painting expedition to Tuscany where people watching will become an art form. Ted will guide you through the process of converting your photos to rich watercolors.

Art As Autobiography - Joella Jean Mahoney
October 1, 9am - 4pm. This exciting weekend art immersion requires no previous experience, but can be used by experienced artists to revisit issues central to their process. Joella guides participants to find their own personal content through a process of collage and spontaneous painting.

Plein Art Pastels - Glenna Hartmann
October 3 - 7. Glenna Hartmann teaches first from a compositional value study and tonalist point of view. This workshop will allow students to develop both technically and creatively as they explore the light of the Sedona landscape with individual attention from a master pastelist.

Color For Artists - Brian Bomeisler
October 3 - October 5. Betty Edwards and Brian Bomeisler have designed a practical three-day basic course in color for artists. This course is suitable for novices in color as well as more experienced artists who may be using color without a clear understanding of how knowledge of color theory can help.

Field Expedition to Africa Serengeti
October 7 - October 17. Visit the Africa of your imagination. Expedition includes visits to the Samburu Game Reserve, the Maasai Mara (Northern Serengeti), Jane Goodall's Institute, a night game drive to visit Africa's nocturnal animals and Karen Blixen's home (author of Out Of Africa ).

Watercolor Workshop - Adele Earnshaw
October 14 - 16. Adele Earnshaw will do two demos during each class to show how she paints on dry 300-pound paper by glazing and layering using transparent watercolor. There is a lot of individual time with each student and plenty of painting time in class.

Plein Air Oil - William Scott Jennings
October 17 - 21. This course is geared toward the advanced art student who is seeking to build skills in painting outdoors. William Scott Jennings will demonstrate his outdoor painting techniques, design concepts, materials and preparation.

Watercolor Workshop - Shelly Bechtel Shepherd
October 17 - 21. Learn to let the exciting, spontaneous attributes of watercolor inspire plein air interpretations of the landscape. Shelly Bechtel Shepherd's unique class is designed to free you - to let the process of painting merge with the vision of the landscape before you.

Writing Down The Bones - Natalie Goldberg
October 21, 22. Natalie Goldberg is the author of Writing Down The Bones: Freeing The Writer Within and Living Color: A Writer Paints Her World . Join Natalie for this extraordinary two-day, hands-on writing workshop and learn writing skills from a master.

Watercolor Workshop - Betty Carr
October 24 - 28. Learn to capture the beauty of light! Betty Carr teaches students to accurately portray the effect of light on any subject, both in oil and in watercolor. Emphasis is on organization and simplification of darks and lights, value and color relationships, edges, movement and mass to create a dynamic, coherent composition.

First Annual Plein Air Painting Festival
October 24 - 30. The country's finest plein air painters will converge upon Sedona to capture the exquisite landscape. The festival culminates with a "Paint Out" at L'Auberge de Sedona and a Patrons Gala at the Sedona Arts Center in the evening.

Evening In The Galleries - Joe Beeler
November 3, 5pm to 8pm. As part of the Sedona Gallery Association's monthly event, the Sedona Arts Center will feature work from legendary cowboy artist Joe Beeler. Joe will be on hand to discuss his work and sign copies of his award-winning book, Life of a Cowboy Artist . The exhibition will be in the Members Gallery through the month of November.

Egg Tempura Workshop - Koo Schadler
November 7 - 11. Egg tempura painting has unsurpassed luminosity. In this comprehensive five-day workshop taught by a nationally recognized tempura painter, students will learn all aspects of the medium - its history, how to make genuine gesso panels using eggs and tempura to mix the paint, and dozens of application and finishing techniques.

Palette Knife Painting Workshop - Ava McNamee
November 18 - 20. Learn how to use the palette knife for painting in this special five-day workshop.

19th Annual Miniature Exhibition
November 23 - December 1. View the small-scale world of miniature art while enjoying fine chocolate desserts and champagne donated by some of Sedona's best restaurants. Discriminating collectors can purchase original art at affordable prices. The exhibition culminates on December 1 with a silent auction from 5pm to 8pm.

Pastel Workshop - Polly Cullen
December 1 - 3. Learn the magic of pastels in this fun three-day intensive workshop.

INFO> 928-282-7692. www.sedonaartscenter.com

Artisans Brunch
During the summer and fall months the romantic resort, L'Auberge de Sedona, hosts a series of art showcases called the Artisans Brunch every Sunday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Brunch is served inside at the L'Auberge Restaurant or outside at The Terrace On The Creek, alongside the bubbling banks of Oak Creek, while a different artist every week displays his or her work. $35 a person.

• Jennifer Defoe. July 24. Sterling silver and semi-precious stone "wearable art."
• Jeannette Tuscher. July 31. Clay art works.
• Barbara Ragalyi. August 7. Serigraph and monotype prints, acrylic and watercolor paintings and Polaroid emulsion
• transfers.
• Betsey Nelson. August 21. Figures, portraits, still life and plein-air landscapes of oil and pastel.
• Norma Holden. August 28. Plein-air oil and watercolor landscapes; clay and cast-paper figurative sculptures.
• Kapi Lewis. September 4. Unique silk paintings with watercolor and French silk dyes.
• Nancy Robb Dunst. September 11. Three-dimensional works of fiber, wood, metal, polymers, glass and paint.
• Norma Cox Miller. September 18. The artist shows her life experiences in the form of paintings.
• Rose Moon. September 25. The artist tells a story using her pieces of colored pencil and watercolor.
• Nita Marlette. October 2. Watercolor landscapes.
• Sarah R. Sullivan Arp. October 16. Paintings.
• Gale Craig. October 23. Abstract oil paintings.

INFO> 928-282-1667.

Sedona Arts Festival
October 8 and 9. 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Over one hundred of the nation's top artists will join entertainers and vendors at Sedona's Red Rock High School for the 15 th Annual Sedona Arts Festival. Kids can enjoy the fun of the Kid Zone while their parents stroll and shop. Admission: $7.00; children under twelve free when accompanied by an adult.

INFO> 928-204-9456.

Bell Rock Arts & Crafts Shows
Under the shadow of the famous Bell Rock, at Bell Rock Plaza off Highway 179 in the Village of Oak Creek, check out the arts and crafts shows held there during the summer and fall. Between 35 and 45 artists and crafters participate and the items to be seen there run the gamut from fine art paintings and photography to stone, wood and metal sculpture and fine jewelry including some fine Native American pieces. Look for handmade furniture, rugs, carved wood walking sticks and lots of other interesting things. A genuine cowboy chuck wagon is usually there to serve some mouth-watering BBQ.

The dates of the Bell Rock Arts & Crafts Shows are: June 18-19, July 23-24, August 20-21, September 10-11, September 17-18, October 8-9, October 29-30, November 19-20, November 26-27, December 17-18 and December 31-January 1.

INFO> www.bellrockartshows.com