“Women Artists Make Their Mark” August Special Exhibition

SEDONA, Ariz. - July 16, 2015 - PRLog -- “Women Artists Make Their Mark” opens Friday, August 7, at James Ratliff Gallery, Hillside Sedona, 671 State Route 179, Suites A1 & A-2, Sedona, AZ, with an opening reception from 5 – 8 PM.  Featured artist, Lelija Roy, will join the Ratliffs to greet guests and entertain any questions.

It’s time to celebrate the piercing of the glass ceiling in American society which now boasts female candidates for presidential office, nominations of women for inclusion on American currency, a fiftieth anniversary of a quintessentially American novel penned by a living writer debuting a lost work to add to her globally-received Pulitzer work of fiction.  It’s mahvelous what’s been brewing in the contemporary artists’ psyches of featured artists selected by James and Patricia Ratliff.  This fantastic display of color, light, nostalgia, creativity, humor and fantasy will continue through August 17.

This varied tapestry of watercolors, acrylics, sculptures and pottery afford viewers a peak into the minds and hearts of the women who conceive, develop and create their artistic works.  Nothing is left to chance in the exploration of these open hearts dedicated to communication of their work.  It could be brilliant and unusual combinations of color, only to be found elsewhere undersea; a plea for understanding; an invitation into the tranquility of an untrammeled aspen forest grove; an inspired sunset found only on the artist’s canvas; a sense of connection between the messaging of the avian and human worlds.  What’s common to each and all, including the viewer, is a sense of connection.

Naysayers may opine women have not had their day in the art world.  Women live in the James Ratliff Gallery 365 days a year.

Featured Denver artist, Lelija Roy, wants you to feel surrounded and embraced by organic forms. Hence, her mixed-media paintings are about the “space” created by the trees in a grove, the wind and water carved shape of a canyon, the quiet intersection of woodland and meadow or the ever-changing line between wet and dry sand on a beach.

As an only child, Roy reflects:  “My best friends were a box of crayons. My spirit poured on to countless pieces of paper.” Roy’s formal art training began in the 1970s at the Art Students League in New York City and a BFA from the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Her early career in graphic design morphed into publishing, educational research and teaching. Roy’s work is held in both public and private collections throughout the U.S. and in several foreign countries.

James Ratliff explains the wide range of sizes from 12”x12” to five foot by twelve foot triptychs: “Lelija is very accomplished working on special landscapes for her clients and welcomes commission requests through the gallery.”

Besides Lelija Roy, artists in this August exhibition include:

·         Painters:  Judy Choate, Kay Stratman, and Jody Ahrens

·         Potter: Kay Hill

·         Sculptor: Ying Muncy

Treat yourself to a generous helping of spontaneity, enjoyment and real summertime where “the livin’ is easy” at James Ratliff Gallery, Hillside Sedona.  For further information about any of the artists or the gallery, consult the gallery’s web site:  www.jamesratliffgallery.com; e-mail:  FineArt@jamesratliffgallery.com; or phone 928-282-1404.