Elin Thomas has been painting professionally in both acrylics and oils since 1983.   She owns and rides a motorcycle, which she uses to travel to many gorgeous locations for camping, painting and loving life. Her dog Bessie is a companion on these journeys.  She’s been called the “fastest brush in the West” when doing on-location painting, completing a painting in about 40 minutes.  

Marla Smith is a contemporary oil painter known for creating artworks that reflect the landscapes and spirit of the American Southwest.  Her paintings capture Southwest scenery and ranch life, drawing on the natural beauty and wide–open spaces of the region, especially near Prescott, her home.

Beki Tobiasson is a self-taught artist working primarily in oil.  She explores deep emotional and spiritual themes in her work.  Her art works often tell stories based on personal or familial spiritual experiences; or depict biblical figures and spiritual concepts centered on faith and divine inspiration.  Her landscapes and floral images are often symbolic narratives that reflect life challenges alongside hope and resilience.

Katrina Rae found her passion for creating art working in soft pastel, mixed media, and oils.  She explores representational subjects, with a strong focus on culturally significant themes — especially those involving Native American traditions, people, and ceremonial regalia; western themes and animals.  One of her notable technical innovations is using protective clear coatings that eliminate the need for glass over her pastel and mixed media works.

Denise Tabari is an oil painter whose work blends elements of realism and abstraction.   Her paintings are characterized by emotionally expressive subject matter and thoughtful use of color.  She enjoys being outdoors and loves to paint and capture the realistic beauty of life.

Kim Shaklee is an American sculptor best known for her wildlife and marine sculptures.  Her work is a blend of representational realism with contemporary flair and subtle abstraction.   She strives to convey each animal’s spirit and movement through smooth, fluid shapes in bronze.  

Linda Harrison-Parsons is an award–winning artist whose work is inspired by the natural world. She creates her works from what she sees in nature and documents moments in time of those things that may be gone tomorrow.    All of her work is based on her strength in drawing while using her background in design and printmaking to create striking images.  She works in water-based oils, pencils, or in soft pastel with handmade papers to achieve her desired effects.  Her travels around the work influence her bodies of work, with each new adventure opening a new series.

Mary Ann Cherry, past president of Women Artists of the West (2019-2020), has received the Bronze Medal at the Western Regional Oil Painters of America show, and the Best of the Masters award from the Women Artists of the West. She has been included in the permanent collection of several art museums. She is a Master member/Emeritus of the Women Artists of the West and Signature member of the Pastel Society of America. Cherry’s work is in the permanent collection of several art museums, including the Phippen Western Art Museum in Arizona and the Eastern Idaho Art Museum. She has had a one woman show at the Clymer Art Museum in Washington.

Syri Hall is a contemporary visual artist known for her oil paintings and bronze sculptures.  Plein air painting in the Sedona area has been Hall’s interest for the last several years.  Her passion for the breathtaking paradise she lives in translates beautifully on canvas, captured with dynamic color, depth, and movement.   

Cindy Sorley–Keichinger is a Canadian painter whose artwork focuses on realism depicting wildlife, nature, and landscape subjects.  She prefers working in acrylics, but also works in oil and gouache.  She is known for using vivid colors and capturing the essence of her subjects with a mix of observational detail and artistic vision.   Sorley-Keichinger wants to bring viewers closer to nature and wildlife through her paintings. She believes that awareness leads to care.

Karen Storm is a contemporary oil painter whose work focuses on capturing the essence of nature and landscape in an impressionist style, emphasizing color, light, and atmosphere in a way that reflects her personal connection to the outdoors.  She often paints en plein air to immerse herself in the shifting shapes, colors, and light of the landscape. 

 June Dudley’s paintings celebrate heritage, family, and the American West, rendered with personal warmth and vibrant color.  Working in acrylics, Dudley describes her work as “impressionistic realism,” in which she combines expressive color with detailed, realistic scenes.  She has deep, emotional connection to her subjects as many of them are based on family members or close friends, or her own animals.  Thus, her work has an immediate intimate feeling.  You are welcomed into her world, rural life in Texas, as an observant friend.  

Anne Peyton combines her skill as a painter with her deep knowledge of birds and active birding experience. Her work aims to foster appreciation and understanding of bird life and conservation issues, helping viewers connect emotionally and intellectually with the natural world.  She has two criteria for each of her finished pieces: One is that the final image shows respect for the subject; the second is that viewers can learn something after studying the art.  She typically works in acrylics, layering colors meticulously to portray accurate plumage, and the natural posture and attitude of her subjects.

Ellie Freudenstein is best known for her richly colored plein-air and studio landscapes and coastal scenes in oil and watercolor of California’s central coast as well as European scenes.  Her work reflects the American Impressionist tradition with a focus on light, color, and mood in her landscapes. Her lifelong dedication to painting from nature has made her a recognized figure in contemporary plein-air circles, especially in the southwestern United States.

Kelly Hine began her art journey during the Covid pandemic in 2020.  She joined an art accountability group in which she created art every day for one hundred days and then posted her work on social media. She was reluctant at first, not having spent any time doing art since her youth, but accepted the opportunity and challenge.  She discovered the beautiful world of pastels during this time and fell in love with their unique ability, vibrancy and immediate tactile response. This is when her obsession began and she has never looked back. 

Kelli Folsom is an award-winning contemporary artist best known for her oil paintings of still life scenes and landscapes, created directly from life with a classical, painterly sensibility.  Her style blends traditional techniques influenced by the Old Masters and American impressionists, emphasizing rich color, dramatic light and expressive brushwork. 

Sally Delap-John is best known for her plein air landscapes and village scenes, especially those inspired by the light, architecture, and natural beauty of Northern New Mexico. Her work often captures the rugged landscapes, old adobe villages, and sweeping skies of the region in vibrant oil paintings.   She works alla prima — that is, completing a painting in a single session, whether in the field or from life in a studio setting.

Melody DeBenedictis is an American contemporary fine artist, painter, singer, songwriter, and advocate, best known for her expressive oil paintings that capture the rugged landscapes of the western United States and the wild mustangs that roam them.  She often travels across western rangelands to photograph and experience the wild firsthand, using these experiences as inspiration for her paintings.  DeBenedictis is an advocate for wild horses, using her art and music to bring awareness to their habitats and the challenges they face.

Christy Daniels is a respected bronze sculptor known for her depictions of real life western and wildlife experiences. Her exceptional understanding of animal body language and emotions, not only flow through her pieces but help her tell a story forever preserved in a three– dimensional snapshot.  As well as the body language and necessary conformation, Christy feels "the look in the eye" of her animals is key to drawing the viewer into the story.

Laara Cassells is a contemporary Canadian artist noted for her paintings of figurative and pet portraits, wildlife, western themes, and equine subjects executed primarily in acrylic. Her style is grounded in realism blended with storytelling, often highlighting the emotional and individual character in both people and animals.   She lives and works on a ranch in central Alberta.  This rustic setting especially inspires her paintings of wildlife and western scenes.