Creating Works of Art to Honor the Vibrancy of Nature

There’s no question budding young artists can be helped along by supportive families. That was the case for Leah Rei, who was born in Colorado but raised in Arizona. Her childhood is filled with memories sewing, embroidering, coloring and making collages to pass the time. “I was introduced to art at a very young age,” […]

Sharing the Sculptural Beauty of Basket Artistry

When you walk into the Celebration of Fine Art and turn to the left, one of the first studios you’ll see is Montana Blue Heron, a space filled with unique, colorful baskets, woven sculptures and three-dimensional wall art in dramatic shapes and sizes. Montana Blue Heron is a collaborative effort between husband and wife Marilyn […]

The art of creating unique burl woodturnings

Few people enjoy a direct and seamless path into a successful career as an artist. To some, it’s an obvious calling from a young age. To others, it’s a result of the zigs and zags life throws out along the way. The latter was the case for acclaimed woodturner David Barkby, who didn’t fully pursue […]

Painting With Subtle Symbols That Connect Us All

Many of the artists at the Celebration of Fine Art discovered their creative inclinations while they were young children. But who says there’s an age requirement to become an artist? Take, for example, Pete Tillack. Today he is an oil and acrylic painter renowned for his highly recognizable style, but he didn’t begin to explore […]

Eclectic Works of Art Inspired By World Travels

Jodi Walsh is a true mixed medium artist, who combines ceramics, stainless steel and wood to create beautiful objects, including folding clay and hand-built ceramics. “My first introduction into art happened outdoors when I was five or six years old in Canada,” says Jodi. “It was fall and I went outside and designed a complete […]

Distinctive and Playful Paintings That Bring Joy to All

Bruce Marion’s first introduction to art was through his father, a creative man who had studied art under the GI Bill and attended two art schools. Delighted his son had decided to explore his creativity at such a ripe age, he wholeheartedly supported Bruce digging into this newfound passion. “He started me out in art […]

Sharing their love of art with the world

Most people recognize the Celebration of Fine Art as being the show where art lovers and artists connect. But for the husband and wife artist duo Joe Axton and Mari Giddings, it didn’t take a show to bring them together, just simply their shared love of art. “On our first date together I went looking […]

The Joys of Using Copper to Create Art

Sheri Meldrum remembers the first piece of art that she fell in love with. It was a landscape painting her grandmother had in her living room. As a child, Sheri would stare at the painting and imagine one day visiting such a place. It was then she realized the power art had to spark a […]