ARTSource America - Volume Eight

ARTSOURCE 

America 

ARTSOURCE America 3 

VOLUME EIGHT

Sedona 

SCAN FOR 

NEWEST LISTINGS 

THE 

COLLECTION 

928-282-4166 

remax-sedona-az.com 

Expectations Exceeded 

FINE HOMES & LUXURY PROPERTIES 

2290 W STATE ROUTE 89A, SEDONA AZ 86336 

2022 RE/MAX, LLC. Locally owned office. 

Each RE/MAX office is independently owned and operated 

4 ARTSOURCE America

ARTSOURCE America 

1



3

FROM THE PUBLISHER 

I took it all for granted. Though surrounded by creative 

passions and processes at every turn, I did not 

appreciate the rich legacy of my upbringing until I got 

out of my teens. 

Formative years were surrounded with murals, 

easels, the smell of paint, studio creativity, bolts of 

cloth, fashion design, literary excursions, landscape 

architecture, culinary excellence, and performance 

appreciation. My parents and an older sister were 

constantly creating and provided an almost ritual 

model of independence that eventually surfaced as 

my inherent share. 

ON OUR 

COVER 

Patrick Dykstra 

with sperm whales, 

from the film 

Patrick and the 

Whale, directed by 

Mark Fletcher. 

See "The Cognitive 

Ethologist" 

pages 22-27. 

Image © TERRA MATER STUDIOS GMBH 

ROMAIN BARATS 

So, I accepted the challenges of being an independent 

working artist, and in time felt a responsibility for 

publishing information about creative peers. ARTSource 

is now in its fifth year of showering attention on artfully 

gifted people striving for excellence from slices of the 

creative pie. ARTSource was selected by peers as the 

best designed new magazine in publishing at the annual 

Folio Awards in 2021 and is proud to support all genres 

of creativity. 

With gloomy outcomes reflected from some corners 

of life on the planet, it is for the most part, creatives 

who are the ones responsible for a joyous crescendo 

rising above prevailing mediocrities of every culture. 

They are certainly worthy of our appreciative attention. 

ARTSource Magazine started out as a local publication 

to promote artists in Sedona, Arizona. It then grew 

to be distributed statewide, and now, with this edition, 

is encompassing a new national purpose in promoting 

creatives of all genres to connoisseurs across the land. 

With appreciation, 

Greg Lawson 

ARTSOURCE 


Greg Lawson 

Lynn Alison Trombetta 

Kristina Gabrielle 

Publisher 

Editor 

Published by ArtSource Media 

2679 West State Route 89A 

Sedona, AZ 86336 

Volume Eight 

Art Director 

Design elements by Erick Hale Agency 

and Nadezda Skocajic 

Printed in Arizona, USA 

ArtSourceMedia.com 

ARTSOURCE America is published twice yearly. 

Copyright © 2018-2023 Sedona ArtSource. All world rights reserved. No part of this publication 

may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system or used as a model 

for any type of reproduction, in any medium, by any means without the publisher’s prior 

written permission.The publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. 

Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. 


CONTENTS 

8 Mario B. Simic – Poet of Land and Sea 

16 Star Liana York – New York Revelations 

20 Sedona International Film Festival 

– A Total Experience 

22 Mark Fletcher – The Cognitive Ethologist 

28 Alex & Luana Soare – Heavenly Alignment 

32 Shondra Jepperson – Let’s Sing 

34 Healing Arts 

39 Sam Guarnaccia – Eternal Dawn 

8 

44 Khrystyna Kozyuk 

50 Step Raptis & Lisa Chow 

– Bringing Balance to a Community 

56 Chiara Capobianco – Strings of the Heart 

62 Catherine Cotay – Flour Power 

64 Bryn McLeod – Not by Sight 

70 Midnight Oil – Art of the Heart 

94 The Call of Beauty 

– Masterworks by Nampeyo of Hopi 

50 

16 

39 

38 

94 44 


5



7

Mario B. Simic 

Poet of Land and Sea 

By Erick Hale 

Edward S. Curtis, 

Self Portrait 


Piegan, c. 1910, 

cyanotype on paper; 

Peterson Family Collection 


Twilight Surf 

A 

modern master of brushstrokes, light, 

and translucent color, Mario Simic has 

been a lover of the arts since he was six 

years of age and discovered his own talent in 

kindergarten. He creates his original paintings 

with a flair for tradition and a heart brimming 

with an appreciation for the painterly artists that 

created the pathway he chose to tread. 

As a child, he was inspired by western culture, 

and after watching hundreds of western movies, 

he dreamed that he would someday come to 

America. When Mario departed his native 

Yugoslavia in 1968 to go to Paris, France, he was 

confident that he was just passing through on his 

way to America and hoped that he would fulfill 

his wish “to settle in magnificent California,” he 

recalls. In time, that wish did come true, allowing 

him to discover the Pacific Ocean and a beautiful 

Cypress Glory 


9

Mt. Edgecumbe Coast, Alaska 

coastline that was to become the main subject and 

inspiration for many of his paintings. Bonding with nature, 

while befriending appreciative admirers of art was going 

to be his destiny. To “become a worthy member of a great 

society while engaged in painting nature and beauty found 

all around us was a fulfillment of that destiny,” he states. 

Here’s a bit more historical detail: It was eighteen years 

after his birth that he made that departure from his 

homeland to join his brother and his father in the famous 

‘city of lights’ where he was immediately enamored with 

the Parisian influence he discovered in architecture, 

artistry, and style. “Paris, to me, was a magnificent work of 

art,” he recalls with relish. 

Golden Gate Glory 

10 ARTSOURCE America 

Sunset Harmony 

Still enamored with his dream though, Mario pursued his 

goal to emigrate to the New World and make the United 

States of America his adopted country. “After my arrival in 

San Francisco, I knew that I had found my new home,” he

Sunset Harmony 


11

Command Performance 

says. Without looking back he industriously 

took to the dual tasks of being both a 

painter and a passionate gallerist, operating 

throughout California and Arizona, eventually 

gaining a reputation of renown for his gifted 

accomplishment in both roles. 

Mario Simic and Call of the Wild 

Motivated by nature itself and by the layered 

talents and influences of such artists as Eugene 

Garin, James Fetherolf, Alexander Dzigurski, 

Ivan Ivazovski, and Albert Bierstadt, as well 

as the extraordinary palettes of the Hudson 

River School of Artists, he eagerly advanced 

his personal techniques. Through exercising 

and polishing his own capacities, Mario created 

sought-after original paintings, and as a crowning 

achievement garnered a selection of other 

distinguished artists to represent in his galleries. 


Majestic Grand Canyon 

One evidence of Mario Simic’s commitment to his art is 

readily seen in his dedication to stylistically perfecting his 

creation of the wave action observed in coastal and deep 

sea waters. His work over the years incorporates curling, 

breaking, and crashing waves in many forms, in various 

lighting conditions, and in a pattern that leads us to 

recognize that this element, whether intended or not, has 

become a signature statement within a grand body of work. 

Through fifty years of devotion, Mario Simic has earned 

the reputation of delivering surpassing excellence while 

infusing the spirit of his collectors with a kind of vitality 


13

and animation that, apart from that 

which the natural world provides, is 

nearly always supplied by exceptional 

art. He continues to explore this 

magnificent country and create 

paintings reflecting his vision of 

“America the Beautiful," maintaining 

a goal to capture views and some of 

the glory from all fifty of the United 

States. 

Simic Galleries operate today in 

the established art communities of 

La Jolla, California, and Scottsdale, 

Arizona, still providing Mario Simic’s 

original works along with select 

limited edition giclees from Simic 

and a stable of other accomplished 

painters. An introduction to the 

Mario Simic collection is also 

proffered by a presence online at 

simicgalleries.com. 4 

Forever Yours 


“ The artist transmits his sensibility and energy into his work so that each of us are 

touched in different ways. Simic paints with different states of heart and soul, resulting 

in various moods and feelings, which the collectors sense, much to their delight.” 

– Louise Renoir, President of the Renoir Foundation for the Arts 

Return To Yosemite 


15

“When a character emerges from a 

work I 'm sculpting, I feel touched 

at a deeply intimate level. The process 

of creating expressive personalities which 

have a convincing inner life of their own 

is the most satisfying aspect of my art 

experience. I want my subjects, whether 

animal or human, to have a captivating, 

positive presence that I can feel when 

I have them around me.” 

– Star York 


Star Liana York 

New York RevelationS 

By Erick Hale 

When creativity is found as a disposition, it will weave its way through all that a person does. 

Such is true for respected sculptor Star York who thrives on creativity in all aspects of living. 

While polished creative passions are conspicuous throughout her bronze and silver creations 

endorsed with celebrated public recognition, they are also at work in her nonpublic side, while 

in the kitchen or on the trail with treasured animals. 

Her biographical details acknowledge that although “her reputation was built on detailed and 

convincing bronze representations of the American West – from Native American men and 

women to cowboys and wildlife, she continues to explore a variety of subject matter and styles 

of sculpting.” 


17

Born near Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Star was the middle daughter 

in a family of five and grew up in a rural area with a dairy farm behind 

her home. She credits her mother, a former ballerina, and her father, 

a woodworker who built the stages on which her mother performed, 

for a talent that, by the time she was in high school, led to her 

winning Scholastic Art awards for her miniature sculptures and even 

signing on with a catalog company to create fantasy figures, and also 

figures from mythology. 

In addition to pursuing her sculpted art creations, horses and other 

animals have been the constant in this artist’s life – both personally and 

professionally. She rode competitively as a teenager and put herself 

through the University of Maryland by exercising racehorses at local 

racetracks and managing an equine boarding operation. Star's knowledge 

of horse anatomy and ability to render horses in a variety of positions 

and forms found expression in gold and silver miniatures which she 

created and sold in East Coast art galleries during her university years. 

Having moved to the Southwest in 1985 to be near good foundries, Star 

has lived on her ranch for almost 30 years, north of Santa Fe and near the 

small community of Abiquiu, New Mexico. Horses are still at the center 

of her life, usually riding daily in the National Forest near her ranch. In 

1990, she had taken up the sport of Polocrosse – an Australian import 

that is best described as lacrosse on horseback – and played on a team 


that became national champions. Now she mostly does trail rides and ranch sorting with her husband, 

a horse trainer from New Zealand who she met through Polocrosse. 

Regarding the creative process for new pieces, Star reveals that she seldom starts on a sculpting project 

with a perceived end in mind. Rather it’s the process of exploration that keeps her intrigued, and keeps 

her in anticipation of the revealed purpose. “The character emerges as I develop the subject,” she says. 

“Always keeping in mind the feeling I want to express, the character will eventually reveal itself through 

the sculpting process. At the moment of revelation, when I see the character of the sculpture before me, 

it helps me to understand what it was that drew me to sculpt the being before me in clay and that new 

revelation is a most gratifying experience,” she shares. 

Gallery representation can be explored by visiting her website, staryorksculpture.com. 4 

ARTSOURCE 


19

The Magical 

Sedona 

International 

Film Festival 

A Total Experience 

An interesting competitive dynamic occurs each year at the 

Sedona International Film Festival. Sure, every filmmaker 

submitting a film for consideration wants to walk away with 

coveted awards and, of course, bragging rights, which soon 

blend into a welcome camaraderie amongst peers. 

“One aspect of the Festival that I most love to see and be 

part of is creating an environment for filmmakers to connect 

with their peers, learn from each other and expand their 

individual and collective networks,” said Sedona international 

Film Festival Executive Director Pat Schweiss. “Sure, there’s 

a competitive side to the Festival, but it’s mostly filmmakers 

competing against themselves to explore new creative ideas, 

hone their skills, improve their products and maybe find a 

potential distributor. The biggest part of this is immersing 

themselves in the remarkable creativity of their fellow 

filmmakers as they watch each other’s films, meet and discuss 

those films at our events and cheer the loudest for the 

Festival’s eventual winners.” 

As much as filmgoers attending the Festival often scramble 

for tickets to films that most engage them, filmmakers, too, 

pour through the annual Festival catalogue to experience 

the incredible creative diversity on display on four theater 

screens around Sedona. 

“And it’s not unusual for filmmakers to collaborate with 

one another on future projects,” Schweiss said. “Quite often 

we’ll see actors from a film that screened the previous year 

starring in another film by a completely different filmmaker 

the next year.” 

There’s no way to predict what may happen during the nine 

days of the 30 th annual Sedona International Film Festival, 

taking place February 24 th – March 3 rd 2024, but one fact is 

undeniable: the experience is always unforgettable, both for 

the filmmakers and the 10,000 film lovers who will view the 

150 films selected for screenings from more than 1,300 that 

are submitted. 

Films will be screened at the Festival-owned 99-seat Mary D. 

Fisher Theatre and the new 43-seat Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre 

at 2030 W State Route 89A, and the two largest theaters at 

the Harkins Theaters Sedona 6 at 2081 W. State Route 89A. 

Tickets and passes will be available for purchase later this 

year, but memberships are available all year. Membership 

privileges include advance e-mail alerts and announcements 

for all SIFF film and events, discounts on tickets to films and 

special events and pre-sale Film Festival discounts. 

Membership levels range from $75 to $50,000. 


From full-length features to shorts, documentaries and 

animation to foreign and student films, “our patrons will be 

treated to a cinephile’s dream,” Schweiss said. 

The Festival’s three film-selection committees (features, 

documentaries and shorts) will spend most of the fall months 

screening the hundreds of films submitted for consideration. 

They’ll also be considering submissions for the annual 

Screenplay Competition through which four winners will be 

chosen: Feature Screenplay, Short Screenplay and TV Pilots; 

half-hour and hour versions. 

Among other prizes, winners will have portions of their 

winning scripts read by actors during table reads during 

the Festival. 

The 2023 Sedona International Film Festival will continue 

a legacy of excellence in both the breadth and diversity of 

film selections and in the Festival’s international reputation 

for “ensuring an experience for filmmakers unlike any they 

experience. Year after year we hear from filmmakers who are 

overwhelmed by Sedona’s incredibly intelligent, warm and 

welcoming environment, elements that keep them coming 

back,” Schweiss said. 

Those facts also inspire appearances – both first time and 

return visits – by some of the industry’s most acclaimed 

and honored actors, directors, producers, screenwriters, 

cinematographers and distributors. Among those who have 

spent time in Sedona are Susan Sarandon, Rob Reiner, Richard 

Dreyfuss, James Brolin, Cybill Shepherd, Nicolas Cage, Elliot 

Gould, Mary Steenbergen, Diane Ladd, Tony Curtis, Ted 

Danson, Michael Moore, Jane Alexander and Ed Asner. 

For information about memberships and all things Sedona 

International Film Festival, visit www.sedonafilmfestival.com. 4 


21


Patrick and the Whale 

featured at the 

Sedona International 

FILM FESTIVAL 

2023 

MARK 

FLETCHER 

THE COGNITIVE 

ETHOLOGIST 

By Erick Hale | Images © TERRA MATER STUDIOS GMBH ROMAIN BARATS 

British zoologist, Mark Fletcher, 

has been using the artistic skill set 

of an editor, producer, writer, and 

director of films about wildlife 

for some 25 years. Across that 

span he has written and edited 

hundreds of films. 

The scientific training and the 

ongoing interest of Mark’s 


23

pursuits might be identified 

zoologically as ‘cognitive 

ethology.’ However, he is eager 

to acknowledge what that 

means in the vernacular – that 

he’s passionate about seeking 

an understanding of animal 

behaviors and producing visual 

and textual confirmations of 

those understandings through 

storytelling. Sometimes solo, but 

more often as a team member. 

Early in his professional years Mark 

was the assistant editor on a film 

about the Everglades, produced for 

PBS, when he found himself thrust 

into the editor’s seat. 

“In telling any natural history story, we go from science and understanding, to crafting 

a story from the footage of the actual behavior. Editing, writing, and music are all part 

of that storytelling, and we all work together to weave a complex scientific narrative 

about animal behavior and the reasons why animals do what they do.” – Mark Fletcher 

He accepted those reins with a 

passion that has never waned. 

Recently Mark was the visiting 

spokesperson at the Sedona 

International Film Festival for a 

film in which he enjoyed oversight 

on several levels – a film in 

which he says he learned one of 

the most profound lessons of 

his career. Before revealing the 

lesson learned, let’s consider the 

film he worked on. 

Patrick Dykstra 

Patrick and the Whale is the title 

of a film that chronicles intriguing 

details of a human and whale 

interaction, spread out over 

time, in which respected marine 


videographer and photographer, Patrick Dykstra, 

is found interfacing and connecting with sperm 

whales on a personal level. In the adventure he is 

documented as he goes to visit and revisit a specific 

individual in the Caribbean waters off the coast of 

Dominica. The plot itself is mesmerizing, but the 

actualities have delivered profound evidences to even 

the experienced zoologists involved. 

In this movie worth seeing, Patrick Dykstra explains 

how the intimate encounters affected his own 

emotions and how they evidently did so for his 

co-star of the deep. As editor and director, Mark 

Fletcher shares his own educated perception 

as an observer, and he shares this personal 

revelation: “There's one moment in the film that is 

extraordinary. The main whale character has decided 

that Patrick wasn't really a friend anymore, and 

rejected him twice, mainly because he tried to stick 

a scientific instrument on her. Then one day she 

approached him, and stayed head to head, for almost 

a minute, watching and scanning him ultrasonically. 

Whales can see an internal view of us that is far 

more detailed than any MRI. She can most probably 

see blood-flow, even maybe for different parts of the 

brain. She then dives straight down, appearing to 


25


cold-shoulder him again – but in 

fact she decided to do something 

far more extraordinary. She left 

him with her calf, as a babysitter, 

while she went miles down to 

feed. In that moment, the whale 

revealed more about trust and 

forgiveness than I have ever seen 

in any animal.” 

The impressions made on 

Patrick, on all of the production 

staff, on those of us witnessing 

the film, and perhaps even 

the whale, are that we have 

acquired soulful imprints that 

will not depart us, they will 

instill deeper appreciation for 

our fellow earthlings, and can 

help us humans to avoid the ofthuman 

tendency of considering 

other creatures of the planet as 

something beneath ourselves. 

The role of an editor seems 

something like a filter through 

which many parts of a production 

must pass; the work of writers, 

designers, photographers, 

actors are all subject to review 

before inclusion in the final cut. 

Therefore, an artist’s sensitivities 

are a paramount inclusion when 

Fletcher dons various hats in the 

creation of engaging media such 

as his learning experience and 

shared knowledge of Patrick and 

the Whale. 

For more information about the 

film, visit: www.terramater.at/ 

cinema/patrick-and-the-whale. 4 


27

Heavenly Alignment 

ALEX AND LUANA SOARE 

By Erick Hale 

O ne could say it was a match made in heaven. 

When Alex, born in Romania, met Luana, born 

in Brazil, both were working for the Florida Grand 

Opera in Miami. Both are operatic performers, but 

Luana was engaged in the education outreach side, 

while Alex was a resident opera singer. 

By the time August of 2017 came around, they were 

living in Chicago, the adopted hometown of Alex’s 

family after migrating to America. It was August 17th, 

2017 that Alex proposed marriage to Luana, a day 

when the moon passed in front of the sun in perfect 

alignment – for the two celestial bodies had become 

essentially one from an earthly perspective visible in 

parts of North America on that day. 

Alex reminisces,“We lived in the city and decided 

to spend the day in the suburbs in order to see the 

eclipse with more clarity. In Chicago, we only had a 

partial eclipse, and still, everything got dark for a brief 

moment. And at that exact moment, I looked at her 

and thought to myself, ‘What am I waiting for? I need 

to propose to her!’ It was clear as day that I wanted 

to spend the rest of my life with Luana.” Though 

28 ARTSOURCE 

America

it was not thought-out and purposefully 

planned that he would propose marriage 

to her on this particular day, it is intriguing 

to note that Alex’s surname, Soare means 

‘sun’ in Romanian and that Luana’s given 

name means ‘shining woman’ and is readily 

associated with the word Lua, which is 

‘moon’ in Brazilian Portuguese. It was Alex’s 

father who later pointed out what had just 

occurred in metaphoric shadows of that August 

17th alignment of the sun and moon. 


29

After uniting in marriage, Alex and Luana 

Soare continued their common pursuit 

in a love of music, with Alex becoming an 

internationally performing opera singer 

and Luana becoming a music instructor. 

The two maintain harmonious careers 

today while operating from their home 

base in Chicago. 


Luana Soare is native of Sao Paulo, Brazil. She started her studies 

at the school of the Municipal Theater of São Paulo and graduated 

with a double major in Vocal Performance and Music Business at the 

Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam. 

A versatile educator and entrepreneur, Luana runs Lulu’s Music 

Studio, her own private piano and voice studio in Chicago where 

she teaches music for children and teenagers. She has also taught 

early music education classes for children 6 months and older, as 

well as opera education outreach with Florida Grand Opera and 

Minnesota Opera. When not teaching or running her business, 

Luana loves to perform. She has sung in the productions of Giulio 

Cesare (Cornelia) with Chicago Summer Opera, L’Etoile (Koukouli) 

with the Crane Opera Ensemble and Hänsel und Gretel (Sandman) 

with the Manhattan Opera Studio as well as a school outreach run 

of Three Little Pigs with Chicago Summer Opera’s outreach program. 

Alex Soare 

Alex Soare’s recent performance highlights include: Der Tod 

from Kaiser von Atlantis at Carnegie Hall, Leporello in productions 

of Don Giovanni for Opera Hong Kong, Opera Carolina, and 

Opera Grand Rapids, Don Basilio with Florida Grand Opera and 

Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera. He is engaged with several 

other professional opera houses, including Nashville Opera, Des 

Moines Metro Opera, Opera Saratoga, Cedar Rapids Opera, and 

Opera North and is recognized as an award recipient of the 

Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, The National Society of 

Arts and Letters,The Bel Canto Foundation, and The Romanian 

National Song Competition. Alex is distinguished as a finalist in 

the Francisco Viñas International Singing Competition and The 

Marcello Giordani Vocal Competition. 4 


31

SHONDRA JEPPERSON 

LET’S SING 

By Erick Hale 

With hundreds and 

hundreds of musical 

instruments in use over 

millennia, which one is 

the grandest of all? No 

doubt it's the human 

voice. This powerful 

instrument delivers 

more in the way 

of exciting human 

emotions than any 

other instrument is 

capable of. 

Skillfully using this instrument 

has been the choice of 

Shondra Jepperson throughout 

a long career as a singer, songwriter, 

actor, voice-over talent, entertainer and vocal 

coach. Over the decades, this Juilliard School alumni has 

taken her talent to the stage in uncounted ways.“I’ve sung in 

my own shows in Vegas and Reno, in bands ranging from rock, 

country, blues, to show tunes,” she acknowledges. 

Shondra has introduced a new coaching service designed 

to bring people that love the idea of being a performance 

singer out of the shower and onto the stage. 

Anyone that’s ever entertained the idea 

of singing professionally, or simply of 

entertaining family and friends could 

find a great mentor relationship 

just waiting to happen. Shondra 

has a powerful coaching program 

for everyone so inclined. 

It’s titled “Unlock The Singing 

Super-star in You” — prepared 

as an affordable voice coaching 

and performance readiness 

program that will help prepare a 

shower-singer to stage-readiness 

in a matter of weeks. 

“And who knows?… by opening the 

doors to new possibilities, anything can 

happen,” Shondra reminds her students. “It may 

be a door to a new profession or maybe it’s just the satisfaction 

that you can sing anywhere, anytime, anyplace!” And 

Shondra should know, because she’s performed for as few 

as two persons and for as many as twelve thousand, from 

private settings to grand performances. 

The curious should not wait! Get in touch with your new 

coach at shondramusic.com, for perhaps there’s a vacancy 

available among the stars. 4 



33

HEALING 

ARTS 

Light, time, and earthly elements 

work in tandem with our 

perspective to deliver any 

glorious natural event. Likewise, 

accomplished human efforts, 

arrive from a heady mix of vision, 

strength, and capacity. Meet Del 

Pickens and Kelvin White, MD, 

two of the executive visionaries 

shaping a new Atlanta-based 

medical facility that stresses a 

whole-person healing approach. 

Del Pickens 

Kelvin White, MD 


The power of the natural world to support 

us emotionally has been well-documented. A 

moonrise, a sunset, a rainbow, a blossoming 

field or the warming rays of sunlight on a frosty 

morn, each can provide a soothing, welcoming, 

atmosphere for our psyche, which in turn can 

support our physical well-being. 

Such recognition serves as one of the pillars 

behind the creation of a new treatment and 

healing facility in Atlanta, Georgia, operating 

under the name of Comfort Medical. 

Comfort Medical has taken a unique approach 

to the healing process by incorporating naturebased 

art and photography in its design and 

function. As a visionary and lover of art, CEO 

Del Pickens, recognized the potential benefits 

of incorporating art in the healing process after 

conducting research that found that art could 

have a positive impact on patients psychological 

wellness experience. By adding art to the clinic's 

design and function, Comfort Medical aims to 

create a calming and stress-reducing environment 

that can promote healing and wellness among 

patients suffering from diabetes and other 


35

elated ailments. This approach is a departure from the 

traditional clinical setting that often lacks the personal 

touch necessary for a comprehensive approach to 

patient care. Comfort Medical’s initiative to merge 

nature and art appreciation with treatments can have a 

significant impact on a patient's physical well-being. 

Kelvin Wite, MD, states that “a study published in the 

Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 

found that nature-based art therapy improved the mental 

and physical well-being of cancer patients.The study 

showed that patients who participated in nature-based 

art therapy reported lower levels of pain, fatigue, and 

anxiety, and had a better overall quality of life. 


“Moreover, a review of studies 

published in the International 

Journal of Environmental Research 

and Public Health found that 

exposure to nature-based art 

can improve cognitive function, 

mood, and psychological wellbeing 

(Staats, Gatersleben, & 

Hartig, 2019). The review also 

suggested that nature-based art 

could be used as an effective tool 

in healthcare settings to support 

patient healing and recovery,” he 

says. 

“A study published in the Journal 

of Environmental Psychology 

found that viewing nature scenes 

in art can reduce stress levels 

and increase positive emotions 

(Berman, Jonides, & Kaplan, 

2008). Another study published 

in the Journal of Health Design 

found that patients exposed to 

nature-based art had lower blood 

pressure and reported feeling less 

anxious,” White explains. 

The staff of qualified medical 

personnel is headed by the Chief 

Medical Officer, Kelvin D. White, 

MD and consists of Medical 

Director, Miles Johnson, MD; 

Wound Care Director, Frank Jones, 

MD; Health Care Administrator, 

Nakita Piper, MHA NBA; Nursing 

Director, Brenda Sanders, RN. 

Significant oversight roles are also 

occupied by CEO Del Pickens, 

CFO Will Lewis; VP Marjorie 

Torres; and Senior Partner, Samuel 

Ryce. 

Treatment experiences at Comfort 

Medical will typically see the 

patient engagement surrounded 

by artful compositions from the 

natural world, with the purpose of 

nurturing the whole person. 4 


37

“Wolverine” 

“Vaquero” 

“Ram” 

Buzz Siler - Abstract Impressionist - Exclusively at Siler Gallery La Jolla buzzsiler.com 

7946 Ivanhoe Ave. Suite 102, La Jolla, CA 92037 503 969-0009 buzzsiler@gmail.com 


Eternal Dawn 

By Erick Hale 

I n a tenebrous interval of day, only a hint of 

enlightenment in the eastern sky will rouse the 

trumpeting sound of a cock’s proclamation. Soon 

enough the trees will begin to reverberate with a 

widespread chorus of greater acknowledgement to the 

dawn. Such fanfare though is not the exclusive right of 

our earthly neighbors. 

As long as humans have been awakening to new percep- 

tions within their known universe, we too are found in 

proclamation. The eagerness possessed by humanity for 

increased knowledge on any subject means that we live 

in the face of an eternal dawn of awareness. Increments 

of enlightenment often spark welcome celebrations in 

the worlds of science and art. For one accomplished 

American music authority, composing musical scores 

for collaborative efforts celebrating human awareness 

has been a privileged function on several occasions. 

Welcome to the spotlight... 

SAM GUARNACCIA 


39


Sam Guarnaccia is a composer, classical guitarist, scholar, and 

founder/director of Sam Guarnaccia Music. He studied privately 

at the Royal Conservatory of Madrid and received a Master of 

Fine Arts in Guitar performance from the California Institute of 

the Arts. He created and, for ten years, taught and directed the 

guitar program of the University of Denver’s renowned Lamont 

School of Music. He has also taught and instituted programs at 

Middlebury College and the University of Vermont in his roles as 

a Spanish scholar, player/performer, and composer. 

Sam was born in Burlington, 

Vermont and has been connected 

to music since youth, finding 

influences in various genres. 

“I loved classical music from 

childhood — Beethoven, Brahms, 

Bach and others were appreciated 

in our family home...and rock and 

roll (Elvis era). Bach and Beethoven 

are the pinnacle figures in my 

musical 'soul'...but I love 'Good and 

Honest' music of nearly all styles.” 

Later influences include the fusion 

rock group Chicago, and Maria 

Schneider for “extraordinarily 

complex and symphonic Jazz.” 

Guarnaccia’s composition, “A 

Celtic Mass for Peace, Songs for the Earth” was a collaboration 

with Celtic Spirituality scholar, writer, and teacher, John Philip 

Newell, and has been performed throughout the United States, as 

well as in Iona and Edinburgh, Scotland. The work was featured 

in a major peace celebration on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 on 

September 11, 2011, in New York, and in Vermont. There were 

also two performances near New York City on February 19th, 

2012. In addition, he has written a cycle of nine Peace songs 

which have been incorporated into a Peace education curriculum 

for children. 

Sam’s companion in life, Paula Guarnaccia joined her husband 

as producer and creative partner in weaving intellectual and 

emotional threads through a major undertaking known as the 

Emergent Universe Oratorio Project. Direct correspondence 

with Wendell Berry, Joanna Macy, Mary Evelyn Tucker, Brian 

Swimme, and Bill McKibben led to permission to use their 

writings, and the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, in creating the 

Emergent Universe Oratorio (EUO) libretto. The primary 

Sam Guarnaccia's original 

handwritten score notes 


41

inspiration for EUO libretto was the writing of 

Thomas Berry and the film Journey of the Universe 

by Mary Evelyn Tucker and Brian Swimme. 

A World Premiere performance of the fully 

orchestrated EUO was subsequently performed 

at the Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts 

Center located at the Temple–Tifereth Israel near 

Cleveland, Ohio. EUO has been performed in 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is scheduled for a 

2023 performance in Albany, New York. 

at the NRDC world headquarters in NYC as 

iconic representatives of the natural world in its 

struggle against the ravages of human induced 

environmental degradation. After being a short 

time in the presence of her work, I told Sally that 

Guarnaccia’s current work, THRESHOLD, also 

has an affirmative purpose. The title represents 

an acknowledgment of the edge of existence now 

un-folding for many species on planet Earth. 

By way of explanation, the composer states, 

“I attended an art opening of Sally Linder’s 

new series, Approaching a Threshold where Gus 

Speth, co-founder of the Natural Resources 

Defense Council (NRDC) and environmental 

advisor to two presidents, was keynote speaker. 

Paintings from the Threshold series are now 


I was hearing music…that they were bringing forth 

waves, melting glaciers, rivers, oceans of sound. 

We immediately found ourselves in a spirit of 

collaboration, realizing that the paintings were 

seeking a voice, as if the Bears wished to tell 

their story in songs without words, in a language 

without symbols. 

“Imagining the voices, sounds, and inner life 

of the 'Natural World' – the other-than-human 

constellation of staggeringly complex interrelationships 

– I sought to surrender to the 

mysterious emergent processes that shape the 

magnificent diversity of our home planet – 

EARTH – to discern and shape the music of 

THRESHOLD….(The new work) THRESHOLD 

emerged with nearly no planning, shaping, or attempts 

to control the result. 

“The process of rethinking or 'reworking' what 

had emerged from contemplating the splendor 

and bewildering diversity of all that is, in 

any moment, paid great respect to what had 

'appeared'. It was less a process of composition 

than one of affection, reverence, acceptance, and 

awe,” Guarnaccia revealed. 4 


43

KHRYSTYNA 

KOZYUK 


Wildflowers

"Colors and shapes inspire me... 

Being an observer first, much of my inspiration comes from the world around us. When traveling I find myself 

appreciating all that the new landscapes have to offer. Recently, my time has been spent exploring different traditions 

and cultures. From the vibrant colored powders thrown during India’s Holi festival to the rich pigments seen in Native 

American headdresses; I create pieces that offer an abstract approach to these and other wondrous occurrences in our 

world. Using an oversized canvas and paint gives me the opportunity and space to experiment with a variety of colors, 

textures, and shapes. In learning different techniques, I am now using one that I have developed. Creating my own 

technique using liquid paint has afforded me the ability to put my own modern spin into each piece. My ultimate goal 

with my work is to open your eyes to the beauty that is around us by showing the viewer my feelings behind each piece." 


45

Chakra Roses 

Towards the Light 


Feathered Roses Coral Warp

Khrystyna Kozyuk 

The summer of 2022 was to be a special season of 

expression for abstractionist Khrystyna Kozyuk. She had 

been scheduled to do two separate museum exhibitions in 

her native Ukraine, one in the city of Lviv and one in the city 

of Chortkiv. 

While a dark cloud has hung over Ukraine for months due 

to the conflict, and has postponed Khrystyna’s homecoming 

exhibitions, her creative spirit has continued to flourish in 

her adopted city of Sedona, Arizona. 

Khrystyna has been an artist since childhood, and even 

though early attempts were made to channel her talents 

through musical expressions, the heart was urging her to 

paint. She studied in Ukraine, and after immigrating to the 

United States she furthered her art-based studies at Triton 

College in Chicago. 

Her style is purely from within, drawing inspiration from 

experiences in life – experiences that migrate as liquid 

ink on canvas through personal filters of perception. Her 

commitment is to produce single originals, without giclee 

reproductions. 

Khrystyna Kozyuk operates her own studio in Sedona, 

where she paints with a passion for constant renewal. 

She may be visited online at kozyukgallery.com. 4 

Phoenix Reborn 


47


THE INTERNATIONAL HUMMINGBIRD SOCIETY’S MISSION 

IS TEACHING ABOUT HUMMINGBIRDS 

AND WORKING TO PROTECT THEM 

Our Current 

Conservation Focus: 

THE MARVELOUS 

SPATULETAIL 

The Hummingbird Society is 

partnering with the American 

Bird Conservancy raising funds 

to purchase 1100 acres in Peru 

to provide land protection and 

habitat restoration for this rare and 

spectacular, critically-endangered, 

and ‘marvelous’ Spatuletail. 

THE MARVELOUS SPATULETAIL – Named for his two extraordinary spatula-shaped 

tail feathers, the male gyrates them up and down for the female in a glorious dance of love. 

Our Educational Focus: SEDONA HUMMINGBIRD FESTIVAL • July 28-30, 2023 

Held in the beautiful red-rock country 

of Sedona, Arizona, the Festival offers 

three days of hummingbird-focused 

presentations on specialized aspects 

of the hummingbird world. It includes: 

the rehabilitation of these tiny travelers; 

extraordinary hummingbird art 

with a live painting demonstration by 

Gamini Ratnavira, one of the world’s 

most highly respected wildlife artists; 

lessons on how to create hummingbird 

photos; a sharing of where to travel to 

see the more than 350 species; learning 

about the science of it all and our 

conservation efforts for endangered 

species. One of our headliners this 

year is Rick Taylor, presenting A Field 

Guide to Arizona Hummingbirds. During 

peak migration, he has seen 15 species 

within one week in July in his back 

yard in Portal, Arizona. 

Tour private local hummingbird 

gardens; attend incredible banding 

demonstrations, which facilitate tracking 

their migration patterns, with the 

sweet possibility of releasing one from 

your hand; participate in a variety of 

exciting early morning birding trips; 

enjoy an elegant banquet; experience 

stunning hummingbird art and conversations 

with gifted artisans, and meet 

Happy, the Hummingbird Spirit. All 

are a part of the allure of this year’s 

Festival, and its opportunity for 

hummingbird-lovers to connect. 

We welcome your membership, 

corporate and/or festival sponsorship, 

donations for our conservation efforts, 

and/or the purchase of space in our 

Official 2024 Hummingbird Calendar 

as a memorial for loved ones, a plug 

for your business, a shout-out to the 

society for its work, or a tribute to 

your favorite hummingbird. 

FIND OUT MORE: GO TO 

www.hummingbirdsociety.org 

OR E-MAIL US AT 

info@hummingbirdsociety.org 

OR PHONE US IN SEDONA AT 

928 284 2251 


49

STEP RAPTIS & LISA CHOW 


Photo by Ron Brewer

BRINGING BALANCE 

TO A COMMUNITY 

Photo by Ron Brewer 

“We are a nice 

yin and yang pair.” 

Looking back over decades of dance, Lisa Chow and Step 

Raptis have helped enlighten and balance communities 

with colorful stories from the past. The husband and 

wife met in 1988 in a dance class Step was playing for. At 

that point, Lisa had been with Desert Dance Theatre for 

several years and was in transition to become the Artistic 

Director. Sometime later, Step would join as the Music 

Director, composing music for Lisa’s choreography and 

other company pieces. 

When they met, Step had already established the Adzido 

West African Drum and Dance Ensemble with master 

drummer, Uncle C. K. Ganyo. Within a year, Step and Lisa 

created Crossroads Performance Group, which was an 

interdisciplinary music and dance collaboration. Through 



51

the Arizona Commission on the Arts they 

did Artists in Residency programs in schools 

around the state. Later, Step would also 

join the Commission’s roster with his 

show, Step’s Junk Funk, where everyday 

objects are used to create exciting and 

engaging rhythms. 

One day, a fellow dancer mentioned she 

had seen the movie about Harriet Tubman, 

A Woman Called Moses. She suggested that 

Desert Dance Theatre do a show about 

the historical Tubman. With the seed 

planted, it took about a year of research 

and script creation to bring the idea to 

fruition. 

Step joined in the position of musical 

director. Growing up in a musical family 

with a father who had conducted Greek 


Photo by Ron Brewer

Orthodox Church Choirs, Step utilized 

his knowledge of choral music to 

conduct the choral ensemble. 

The cast of Sister Moses began with 

a small group of dancers and kept 

growing every year. The educational and 

community residencies associated with 

the production allowed them to work 

with students from elementary and high 

school, as well as community members 

who were included as part of the dance 

cast, choral singers, or appearing in walkon 

parts in various scenes. Their largest 

cast ever was about sixty performers. 

The show was commissioned and 

performed at the Herberger Theater 

Center. The following year it was 

performed to a sold out house at ASU 

Gammage. Additional funding allowed 

the dance company to invite and bus-in 

school children from different parts of 

metropolitan Phoenix to experience the 

show. As a well-recognized work since 

1993, Desert Dance Theatre’s honorable 

and historical production of Sister 

Moses: The Story of Harriet Tubman was 

performed for twenty-eight consecutive 

years until the pandemic interrupted its 

run. 

In 2000, ASU Public Events 

commissioned a new piece from 

Chinese American choreographer H.T. 

Chen of H.T. Chen & Dancers from 

New York. The piece was called Bian Dan 

(the Chinese word for “bamboo pole” 

used to carry water on the shoulders). 

Lisa served as Community Rehearsal 

Assistant for the Arizona community 

cast whenever the company was out of 

town at residencies. This began a long 

relationship with H.T. Chen & Dancers. 

Later, Lisa saw an article where H.T. was 

working on a project called South of 



53

Primary Junk | Photo by Rick Meinecke 

Step’s Junk Funk | Photo by Harald Weinkum 

Gold Mountain. H.T. and his wife, Dian Dong had gone through 

the southern United States interviewing Chinese American 

Citizens and they were getting ready to put together their 

show, which depicted the generation gap between the elders 

and the new generation. 

Being from Mississippi, Lisa contacted them offering to act as 

a consultant. However, soon Lisa was headed to New York 

to The Theater of Chen Dance Center to dance in the show. 

During her first rehearsal they showed Lisa some slides from 

the South which would be incorporated into the show. There 

were photos including seniors, families and Chinese grocery 

store owners. Lisa was surprised to look up and see her 

grandfather’s grocery store as part of the projections. 


The project was well received and included a touching scene 

with the young children dancing a Chinese handkerchief 

dance with the seniors. Eventually, Lisa was able to perform 

South of Gold Mountain in her home state of Mississippi. 

Throughout their careers, Step and Lisa have each been a 

part of two creative streams that merge into a river and 

continue to flow, making a sea of creativity. 


Step commented, “We work off of each other. We bonded 

with the arts and we balance each other out. We are a nice 

yin and yang pair.” 4 



55

Strings 

of the 

By Erick Hale 

Heart 

CHIARA 

CAPOBIANCO 

“A harpist will spend 90% of their time tuning the harp and 

the other 10% playing a harp out of tune” – Igor Stravinsky 

As a child, Chiara Capobianco wanted to follow her older 

sister’s lead in playing the flute. And so she did. She played the 

musical stick along with Sabrina in marching bands around 

their native Milano, Italy. She evidently played so well that 

she was encouraged to pursue a musical career even in the 

tenderness of a single digit age. 

Soon enough she was encouraged to apply for admission at the 

prestigious Conservatorio di Milano. To receive the benefit of 

graduation however, a commitment of ten years to the studies 

and lessons were required at the time of enrollment. 

56 

ARTSOURCE 

America

The application process required a choice of three possibilities for the instrument 

of instruction. She selected her three in this order: flute, piano, and harp. Flute, 

because this is what she really wanted; piano, because this was a popular 

choice and seemed like a safe bet. The harp idea was suggested as a 

possibility for the third choice because it was less popular and perhaps 

could swing the enrollment acceptance her way. 

Well of course. The harp choice opened the door! Soon she 

was immersed into the role of being an embryonic 

harpist. But, could she come to relish that 

somewhat foreign instrument? 

The harp is certainly not a foreign 

instrument to musicians or 

the world of music. 


57

of world travel with her music 

career being the ticket. First stop: 

London, where she landed her first 

gig just days after her arrival. Later 

she accepted the position of an 

entertainer in the cruise ship industry 

and for seven years she plied ‘the 

seven seas.’ 

Later stints found her in Asia and the 

Americas. She now calls San Diego 

home and from this base she traverses 

throughout Southern California to 

perform for small events and major 

productions. 

Chiara has also taken up the honor of 

passing the torch. She teaches the art, 

not only of loving the harp, but if Igor 

Stravinsky is correct, of spending a 

lifetime tuning their harpstrings. 

Her own harp collection ranges from 

simple strings up to a performance 

harp made of carbon fibre materials, 

and even further up to her elegant 

concert harp which is used for 

special performances. Visit her at 

chiaracapobianco.com. 4 

It has roots in ancient Mesopotamia, 

Persia, Africa, and Asia. The 

instrument, in one form or another 

has proliferated with acceptance 

throughout Europe, and on to the 

New World too, with today’s major 

harp manufacturers being located in 

Europe and the USA. 

Little Chiara’s willing acceptance 

of this comparatively imposing 

instrument soon led to her forming 

heartstrings to its legacy and its 

capacity. As she progressed through 

the years to graduate as a master 

harpist she found herself so fully 

entwined with this third-choice 

instrument that it graduated to first 

place in her heart; and off she went 

to make her way in the world as a 

sophisticated harpist. 

Always having a repressed wanderlust, 

she could now fulfill her dreams 



59



61

CATHERINE COTAY 

FLOUR POWER 


Catherine Cotay may have a bit 

of flour power in her DNA. Her 

grandmother, Arabella was a 

baker in England and taught 

the craft to Catherine who 

for ten years has been an 

entrepreneurial baker in 

Washington D.C. 

When it comes to culinary, 

the arts are doubly 

important. There is an art to 

blending, to baking for sure, but also an 

art to presentation. And every culinary provider should 

rightfully have their own take on that, because on our side of 

the coin artistic license is an imperative. 

Highlighting that side of it, Catherine identifies herself as 

the Creative Director in her comfortably sized D.C. pastry 

shop,The Baker’s Lounge. While her heart is in the tart, she 

designs and creates a full line of delicacies for Washingtonians 

from all walks of life, from all over town. Learn more at 

thebakersloungedc.com. 4 


63


Self Portrait 


Piegan, c. 1910, 

cyanotype on paper; 

Peterson Family Collection 

64 ARTSOURCE Boat ReflectionsAmerica

Not by Sight 

BRYN 

MCLEOD 

By Erick Hale 

Visit Bryn McLeod’s website and the 

first thing you will see is a Biblical 

quote from a translated letter written 

by the Christian Apostle Paul to 

members of a congregation in the city 

of Corinth, Greece some two thousand 

years ago. That translated text says in 

part “... walk by faith, not by sight.” 

But Bryn McLeod is a visual artist. He is 

a painter, a translative artist, converting 

his vision of things perceived to 

a reflective abstraction using his 

mediums of choice: oils, acrylics, and 

watercolors.The employment of 

sight is paramount to the enjoyment 

and appreciation of visual creations, 

especially those of two dimensions 

like McLeod creates. What, then, is the 

relationship here between the seen and 

the unseen in his work? 

Bryn wants his viewers to actively 

choose what they see, not to simply 

see a mirrored subject, but to be an 

involved interpreter, contributing with 


65

Counselor 

Chapel at Tlaquepaque 


a personal translation. By adding a 

spiritual dimension from the viewer it 

personalizes the piece for that viewer, 

or as he says “... he art is a process of 

allowing the viewer to see the visual 

information through their own lens 

without telling them what to feel, 

[what] to think ... ” 

Bryn McLeod himself made a leap of 

faith, simply to become a painter. He 

was raised around, educated in, and 

for ten years practiced professionally 

in the mundane world of practical 

Cathedral Rock 

“ …the art is a process of 

allowing the viewer to see the 

visual information through their 

own lens without telling them 

what to feel, what to think…” 

– Bryn McLeod 

Tarah 

economics. After meeting his wife, 

Lillian, a woman of the arts, they 

migrated from Chicago to Oahu, and 

after seven years of pursuing the arts 

in Hawaii, returned to the contiguous 

states where they both remain active 

in chosen accomplishments — Bryn 

as a painter, and Lillian as a highschool 

photography teacher. 

Bryn’s work is available in the Bleu 

Gallery in Dahlonego, Georgia, and 

the Navarro Gallery in Sedona, 

Arizona, or can be seen online at 

brynmcleod.com. 4 


Floral in Red 

67



69

Midnight 

Oil 

"Burning the midnight oil" is an age-old expression 

referring to people working late at night to fulfll their 

goals and accomplishments. 

The ARTSource Midnight Oil feature focuses on 

people using off-hours to accomplish creative 

pursuits. 

Sometimes busy, creative professionals will have 

side interests that are pursued for the love of 

doing so, and these sideline arts are also featured 

in Midnight Oil. 

Compiled by Phillip Coddington 

Rachel Kelli 

S 

hinichi Suzuki was a Japanese 

philosopher and educator that 

believed in the capacity of people 

to absorb the language of music at 

any age and pioneered methods for 

training children in music that was 

adopted by many educational systems 

globally. The Suzuki method was 

employed by many school systems in 

the United States and made it possible 

for a young girl named Rachel to 

be introduced to the violin. "I grew up 

with music in the family so I thought 

the violin would be something I could 

do that no one else in my family did. 

So I decided to join the (Suzuki) 

program, only to find out that the 


Midnight Oil 

violin suited me. This is why I feel that 

music in public schools should always 

be available, and a priority for all 

children. It will change a life as it did 

mine!" she says. 

For the last six years, Rachel Kelli 

is found almost daily entertaining 

people in the famous and historic 

Santa Fe Plaza of New Mexico's capital 

city. "I remember the first time I ever 

set foot on the plaza with my violin, 

wondering how people would react 

to my music and my playing. Even 

though I was a little scared and shy, I 

started to play and began to attract all 

sorts of different people. They stopped 

and listened, and someone even came 

up to me and said, 'Listening to you 

just changed my life!' 

"As well as performing, I have the 

privilege of teaching little ones! 

Teaching allows me to be in a position 

where I can influence children's 

strengths and imagination! I can take 

part in shaping the next generation!" 

Today, Rachel Kelli teaches violin 

and entertains at various events. She 

loves enriching her family of four with 

the joys of music in their home life. 

Visit: stradivariusviolin.square.site. 


71

Midnight Oil 

"I want to give 

form to an abstract 

feeling or idea, and 

take a finite thing 

and turn it into 

something 

reimagined" 

Baruch Koritan 

The Water Split 

While Baruch Koritan is a 

working professional on 

several artistic levels, we've included 

his story in Midnight Oil because he 

has varied interests and talents in 

the artistic arena and each of these 

gets his attention in their turn. He's 

found fueling one, then another 

creative outlet as he moves across the 

checkerboard of life. 

Photo by Howard Paley 


Self-Propelled 

VISUAL: "I began painting and 

creating things as a small child," he 

notes. "Blending hues on a palette 

proves to be a powerful stimulus. How 

each color relates to another appears 

to me like the world recreating itself

at that very moment. My favorite 

media is 'mixed' as I often add stones 

or found objects to my works with 

paints – or with no paint at all. I still 

incorporate mosaics although they 

may just be torn paper or pieces of 

found objects or glass." 

COMPOSITION: Baruch is a writer 

and music composer whose works 

have enjoyed global exposure and 

acceptance. 

PERFORMANCE: Baruch is invited 

to perform popular and classical 

piano recitals internationally. He 

serves as a Cantor (member of Jewish 

clergy that sings or chants the liturgy) 

and has been at Temple Beth Shalom, 

Sun City, Arizona for over thirty 

years. 

RECENT SHOWS: In early 2022, he 

had a solo show, "Kabbalistic Expressions 

in Art," at the Arizona Jewish Historical 

Society, Phoenix, and was awarded a 

ribbon at the Glendale Arts Council's 

statewide show in 2022. Koritan was a 

contributor in Arizona Art Alliance's 

"Unspoken Survivor Stories" for National 

Suicide Prevention Month and was 

featured in Artlink Inc.'s winter show in 

Phoenix through the 2023 Superbowl 

season. 

The Water Came Back and Covered the Chariots 

Since 2012, Baruch has 

been researching and 

applying Kabbalistic 

overtones onto his 

artworks, and all 

their titles are Biblical 

references. “I enjoy 

giving form to abstract 

ideas and, conversely, 

reimaging the finite. 

Assigning new 

relationships between 

diverse elements, 

feeling them coalesce, is 

fascinating to me.” 


73


Midnight Oil 

Maki Lin 

It was a visit to the Hawaiian Cultural 

Center and witnessing pottery being formed 

on a wheel that started Maki Lin along the 

creative path of potter possibilities. She ultimately 

discovered that “to make something out of a lump of clay 

feels like magic,” and today she makes and sells her own style 

of handmade pottery. 

Through nearly thirty years of being a creative potter she 

has learned to particularly enjoy developing unique glazing 

techniques. Each time she thoughtfully layers the glazes, 

with perhaps several different applications, it is pure joy to 

anticipate and then witness the results. “Unloading the glaze 

kiln feels like Christmas,” she declares. 

Maki belongs to the Ann Arbor Potters Guild in Ann Arbor, 

Michigan where she lives, creates, and provides regional 

customers with a changing array of her original productions. 

Besides her own marketing efforts, The Guild sponsors 

two sales per year where Maki and other potters present 

and offer their works to an appreciative public. “It is both 

rewarding and validating to sell my completed work,” she 

says. 

More of Maki’s work can be seen at the Potters Guild 

website www.pottersguild.net/current/#/maki-lin. 


75

Jeremy Johnson 

By Lynn Alison Trombetta 

Eyes Wide Open 

Meet Jeremy Johnson and One-Eyed Willy. Their paths merged when 

Jeremy decided to use his camera to photograph nature as therapy 

while recovering from a nearly devastating illness. Jeremy is a classically 

trained artist. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts specializing in 

sculpture and quickly ended up working in finance and sales in leadership 

for the last twenty years with a Fortune 100 company. He shares his story 

here in ArtSource. 

“August 2020, at the height of the pandemic I woke up in the middle 

of the night with the worst pain that I’ve ever felt in my life. And with 

what became multiple organ failure, I spent seven days in ICU in the 

hospital. I ended up at the Mayo Clinic and they saved my life and 

diagnosed my illness as an autoimmune disease.” 


Midnight Oil 

Jeremy soon began to recognize some 

cognitive issues as symptoms from 

his newly diagnosed autoimmune 

encephalopathy made keeping a train 

of thought increasingly difficult. 

“So my wife basically lost her husband 

and inherited a third child. With the 

help of people at the Mayo and the 

immunotherapy treatment they were 

able to reverse a lot of it and I’m back 

at work after being out for almost a 

year.” 

During that fateful year Jeremy 

did hundreds of hours of physical, 

occupational and speech therapy. “But 

I’ll tell you, the best therapy I got was 

getting back out with my camera,” he 

commented. “I really reconnected with 

my camera and my artistic side and 

if you follow my social media posts 

you’ll see that fall of 2020 is when I 

got back out there and was really able 

to use that as my therapy. And I have 

continued with not only the actual 

photography, but also the writing for 

the social media side, which became 

therapy as well.” 

This is where Willy the one-eyed owl 

flies into the scene. 

“There’s a nest of owls about 50 yards 

from my front door. While I was really 

sick I started photographing them. 

I noticed one of the male’s eyes was 

missing and so I named him One- 

Eyed Willy, after a character in the 

movie, The Goonies. It’s cool, he was 

kind of like my little mascot to go 

through my immunotherapy with and 

push through every week. I watched 

One-Eyed Willy persevere through 

it all and feed his family and he had 

two fledglings last year. I came to find 

out he just had an infection in his 

Fall Reflections 

eye and he worked through it. He 

persevered and hunted through it 

and this year they have four babies 

that fledged! They are literally 

sitting about 100 feet from my 

house learning how to eat! I’m 

watching One-Eyed Willy persevere 

through his own challenges at the 

same time I face mine.” 

Facing those challenges led to 

some incredible connections 

with other nature lovers when 

Jeremy decided instead of his 

Occupational therapy assignment, 

which required him to read 

something and then report back 

with what he had read, he would 

sit down and write about the owls 

for the day. 

“I didn’t want to do the 

occupational stuff that they gave 

me at the hospital. I wanted to do 

something I was interested in 

“One-Eyed Willy in Spring of 2021 

when I was deep in the throes of 

Autoimmune Encephalitis” 


77

“Wild Horses under Red Mountain in our green Sonoran desert” 

instead, but that I could get the same benefit from. I got much more 

benefit from the writing and photography and now others benefit 

from it as well. It’s been so much fun! It turned into more than I ever 

expected, it’s actually gotten a little bit out of control. When you have 

so many followers, if you put Instagram and Facebook together it’s 

literally over 30,000 people, you’re talking hundreds and hundreds of 

messages a day. 

Sales of my work have become a nice side income source, especially 

when I was disabled and out of work for almost a year.” See more on 

Facebook @jeremyjohnsonphotography. 

“One of One-Eyed Willy’s 2021 Owlets” 

Jeremy’s photography journey began with a two-year stint in Utah for 

work where he was transferred. “It’s gorgeous and totally different; 

I was going after mostly landscapes there. But if you look at my 

work, I think I found the best place on the planet in Arizona since 

moving here ten years ago with my wife and two daughters. At first 

it was mostly landscapes and if there were animals it was the wild 

horses. That’s what I was focused on pretty much exclusively. And 

now it has shifted - my eyes have opened up to so much more to 

what is around me, not to mention opened up to so much more 

about what’s important in life. I’ve been refocusing my energy on 

my family and not the daily grind that I had been focused on for the 

last 20+ years. Not that I haven’t always been focused on the family 


and other important things, but until 

you go through such a life-threatening 

experience, (‘Okay, I might die today’), 

you can’t say that you appreciate things 

in the same way.” 

He continued, “Loss and things like 

that make it better, but sometimes 

it’s just hard to figure out the reason 

‘why’. It was at the height of Covid: 

I ended up with an autoimmune 

disease that is incurable and I was 

going through twelve weeks of 

immunotherapy with the goal of 

the treatment being to completely 

suppress my immune system in the 

height of a pandemic. I challenge you 

to find a better escape, a better therapy 

than I found in nature.” 

Jeremy describes his simple nonintrusive 

approach to photographing 

wildlife as ‘always respectful’. 

“You don’t need fancy stuff when 

it comes to your camera, mine is a 

Nikon D750. I find that the lens 

matters more than the camera. When 

I found Willy I upgraded to a high 

quality 500mm lens because I don’t 

disturb wildlife. People see my work 

and comment on how close they feel 

to the animals. But I am not close at 

all. I want to make sure that people 

understand that, because I do see 

people trying to replicate a photo with 

a normal handheld camera and they’re 

up there sticking their head in a hole 

in a saguaro, or they’re getting up 

next to a wild horse, ten feet away. I’m 

using a 500mm lens, sometimes with 

an extender on that and then I crop 

in significantly to get that photograph 

of that owl. I’m always respectful, 

especially of nesting animals and those 

that are especially susceptible to being 

disturbed. 

Jeremy has become nearly expert on 

his owls and could not resist the urge 

to offer up some insights about One- 

Eyed Willy and his wife, Wilma. 

“Great horned owls mate for life and 

they come back and they nest at the 

same place every year for as long as 

the nest is around. Owls cannot build 

nests, they’re opportunistic nesters, so 

where hawks and eagles build nests, 

the owls will come in and steal them. 

Willie and Wilma have a nest on a 

ledge right outside my front door. 

They came back again this year and 

had four owlets and all four survived. 

With a chuckle he added, “Willy came 

back this year and he’s healed, he’s got 

two eyes!” 

Jeremy states, “Two-Eyed Willy now has a healed eye and three new owlets" 


79

Midnight Oil 

Hannah Joya 

Hanna Joya is a communicator. 

In her day job she 

works as a marketing coordinator 

for a major San Diego regional 

hospital, but spends her off-time 

communicating through acting, 

modeling, and writing. With all of 

her pursuits she keeps an eye on 

being of service to humanity. 

Hannah's entire life has been influenced by the fact that her 

father suffered with GBS-CIDP (Guillain-Barre Syndrome / 

Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy), a 

chronic and progressive condition where the body essentially 

attacks itself, causing permanent nerve damage over time. 

After his passing, Hannah raised the courage necessary to 

chronicle a memoir regarding questions about life's mysteries, 

enduring familial love and the confident faith she has for 

reunion. The title itself "Never Goodbye" communicates 

confidences expressed and explored in more than 200 pages of 

outpouring her heart, one evidently molded by compassionate 

insight and love. Learn more on Instagram: hannahmariejoya. 


A woman’s creative talents are shared with many 

through her art form. Owning an original piece 

of her work has nothing to do with monetary 

exchange. 

Donna Gauthier 

Compassion Fashion 

Midnight Oil 

By Leslie Haddad 

Donna Gauthier is always working 

on something. She has a knack for 

locating interesting fabrics in inspiring 

colors and designs and combining them 

in unique pattern combinations to make 

fun and exciting fashionable creations. 

Sewing is considered one of the oldest 

art forms. Donna, whom we shall refer 

to as a sewist, (part sewing enthusiast 

and part artist), creates important little 

works of art. 

By day she’s employed at a well-known 

fabric store where she assists customers 

with their purchases, helps maintain 

a huge fabric inventory and has 

knowledge of most any sewing supply 

one might need. Donna also teaches 

sewing classes on Saturdays. 

SEW WHAT! 

It’s really during her off hours when 

there is something extraordinary 

happening. That is when she transforms 

into the clever, “artistic Donna” with a 

sweet and interesting story, a heart for 

people, and someone who feels she must 

do what she can to help others in the 

world. She’s a fairy godmother of sorts 

who uses her artistic talents to create 

something magical for others leading to 

a happy ending. 

Born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, 

Donna moved to Arizona in 2014. Her 

early childhood, while not financially 

abundant, was filled with fun times and 

some great childhood memories. She 

spent most of her time with her sisters 

playing at the beach and collecting 

shells. Donna's family lived directly 

across the street from a local drinking 

establishment and although she and her 

siblings were aware of the more “grownup” 

stuff that went on there, including 

husbands and wives retrieving one 

another from the clutches of “Happy 

Hour,” and beyond, the five sisters 

learned that life for them was fun 

because they could joyously play out 

and about together. 

As the eldest, Donna had 

always been a source 

of stability for her 

sisters. Great 

influence 

had come 

to her 

by way 

of her 

wonderful 

Grandfather 

who was responsible, 

caring and generous. Donna 

greatly admired him and from him 

she learned how to treat people with 

kindness, and to try to make life a little 

easier for others where and when she 

could. It was a very good lesson that 

she would always treasure. Life changed 

and got a little tougher after he passed 

away, but she never forgot him or what 

she had learned. So Donna, with her 

fond memories and her close family 

continued on as families do. 

It seemed Donna could always sew. She 

used her babysitting money to purchase 

fabric and supplies and she would make 

school clothes for her sisters. It came 

naturally to her, so creating Halloween 

costumes and whatever was needed for 

special occasions followed. 

Years passed and then sadly, the girls 

lost their mother to cancer. Donna took 

on more responsibility where the family 

was concerned. All five girls continued 

living with their dad as they were 

growing up. Although the sisters still 

enjoyed a visit to the beach and 


81

playing together, eventually young men 

entered into the picture. Soon her sister, 

Betsy was getting married, so Donna 

applied her wonderful sewing talents 

and created a beautiful wedding dress 

for her. Later, Donna designed and 

produced her own wedding dress as well. 

Just six weeks before her wedding, 

her father passed away. With both 

parents now gone, Donna and her new 

husband, Bill took on the responsibility 

of providing for the needs of the three 

youngest sisters through to adulthood. 

No small task, but the newlyweds 

happily cared for the siblings, hoping to 

make life a bit easier for them. 

Donna worked as a silversmith 

producing earrings, bracelets, necklaces 

and rings. Later, she moved into the 

world of banking. Eventually her 

sisters grew up and she and Bill raised 

children of their own. Years passed and 

with their children grown and having 

children of their own, Donna finally 

semi-retired and moved to Arizona. She 

continued to lend her valuable talents 

wherever they were needed most. 

This leads us to the present, and to 

new children and families that might 

benefit from her gifts. Since she can 

design almost anything for any occasion, 

Donna creates fun, beautiful dresses and 

outfits for children who can use them. 

She knows that life can hand someone a 

basketful of changes and that problems 

can arise in a moment. Never charging 

for design, time, fabric, buttons, trim or 

thread, Donna has sewn, then mailed 

or hand delivered her artistic creations 

to organizations that offer assistance to 

families. Whether it’s for a child to have 

something fresh and new to go back to 

school, or something for them to wear 

with family or friends, Donna’s outfits 

can help a child fit in, while uniquely 

standing out. This helps take a bit of the 

burden off of hardworking parents with 

many responsibilities to balance for their 

families. 

A SORT OF HISTORICAL 

“STITCH IN TIME” 

There’s another story involved here. 

When the Covid pandemic hit in 2020, 

Donna heard the many news reports 

about the lack of 

face masks available. 

She invested 

her government 

stimulus money into 

a new heavy-duty 

sewing machine and 

plenty of supplies to 

carry out a mission. 

Donna worked to 

design a pattern that 

would work the best, 

and began creating 

double layered 

masks for the senior 

community where 

she resides. She 

made sure there 

were many fun colors and designs to 

choose from, hoping to inspire even 

reluctant people to meet the maskup 

requirements of the times. In her 

view, there was no shortage of people 

who wanted and needed them. Before 

long, she was also making masks in 

children’s sizes too, because she met 

grandparents who wanted to protect 

their grandchildren. 

Donna learned that the Navajo and the 

Fort Apache reservations in Northern 

Arizona were being called “Covid 

hotspots” and there was a need, so 

she worked every minute she could 

and late into the night sewing masks 

for the Native American populations. 

immediately she sent them hundreds of 

free masks. 

Donna sewed over 8,000 masks, all of 

which were donated to organizations 

helping to protect veterans, the elderly, 

children and others. She never charged a 

penny for her creations. 

With the pandemic running at full 

speed, media journalist, Anderson 

Cooper had created a Facebook page 

titled “Full Circle, The Goods.” When 

he learned about Donna and her 

generosity he shared the information 

with his followers. He spoke of Donna 

and her “Compassion Fashion,” a 

name given by a close friend to describe 

Donna’s creative sewing missions. 

Soon, inspired by a letter written by her 

sister, Betsy, a local television station 

came to their home to surprise and 

interview Donna and reward her efforts 

and kindness with a check. Donna 

was thrilled and of course, cashed the 

check and spent the money on more 

fabric and sewing supplies to keep her 

missions going. 


Midnight Oil 

Tonya 

Lonsbury 

Zoby is the real name of a real dog living a real life with a real person that has 

infused Zoby’s life with real adventure in real places. Zoby’s human mentor 

in life is Tonya Lonsbury of Tampa, Florida. 

Tonya has taken Zoby along the nearly 2200 mile Appalachian Trail – wherever 

she was permitted to take him – traversing fourteen of the United States from 

Georgia to Maine. 

Most interesting is that Tonya has written the story of Zoby’s adventures, a 

story embedded with a delightful literary device that brings the reader along 

the trail with embellished insights as might be seen from Zoby’s perspective, 

along with fictional interjections of his conversations and adventures with 

other creatures en route. The story of Zoby is a true story with a delightfully 

imaginative fictional twist. Zoby – Small Dog, Big Adventures on the Appalachian 

Trail is available at amazon.com. 


83

The Opera includes wood and pieces from ocean plants 

Anna 

Marchenko 

Dr. Anna Marchenko spends nearly all of her waking 

hours beautifying elements that come her way. As a 

dentist, she helps people to reflect a better smile, but when 

not practicing dental procedures, she is found sculpting 

and polishing old wood or creatively painting new art pieces 

on canvas and other media for an art gallery maintained 

adjacent to her dental offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

“The need for self-expression, (and) for dialogue with 

present and future generations is what makes me take 

a chisel and/or paint-brush and start my part of this 

conversation,” she says. 


Indigo Heaven – “The night is falling on a busy big city. 

People rush home, some stay in traffic, some rest near TV in 

their apartments. And not too many know that a beautiful 

flower opens its multidimensional petals of reality, bringing 

joy and protection. Not everybody looks up in the sky to feel 

this kind of inspiring creative energy. Nevertheless it’s there, 

it exists sending its goodness into our little physical world.”

Midnight Oil 

Anna Marchenko’s art gallery adjacent to her dental office includes her paintings on 

canvas, wood carvings, mixed media with wood chips, seashells and semi-precious 

stones 

Found wood is her favorite for 

carving. "My husband, Val, and I 

love traveling. My wood pieces come 

hand-picked from all over the world: 

islands in Greece, jungles of Mexico, 

the Curonian Spit (between Lithuania 

and Russia), the Atlantic coast of New 

Jersey, plus Hawaii, New York, places 

in Croatia where the Adriatic Sea 

touches the woodland and of course 

Pennsylvania where I live. But it’s all 

connected,” she explains, adding “The 

wood itself is so noble and warm – you 

notice it, laying on the ground and 

just can’t walk away from it. It calls 

you. You bring it home, start cleaning 

and shaping it…the wood just tells you 

a story, kind of a fairy tale.” 

Regarding painting she says, “Painting 

with oil on canvas was my lifelong 

dream. Sketching and drawing I've 

done for as long as I can remember.… 

But the oil is a (newer) endeavor… I 

was lucky to have good art teachers. I 

learned with devotion and started to 

paint about two decades ago.” 

Regarding inspiration, Dr. Marchenko 

wrote in her artist’s statement 

many years ago something that she 

Driftwood with sea glass casts a crescent 

moon shadow 

emphasizes still holds true for her 

today: “I’m in love with life… and 

light and its magnitude of colors, with 

everything in existence.” 

“My art is an attempt 

to reflect an immense 

beauty of the world that 

surrounds us, as well as 

the beauty of the human 

soul. It is meditative and 

frequently appears in an 

abstract form. 

It doesn’t matter how 

simple or complex our 

life appears to be. If 

we just fill it with an 

immense love and let 

this love penetrate all 

the dimensions of our 

vast reality, the universe 

will then smile at us with 

its kind wisdom and 

everything will change... 

colors become brighter, 

thoughts become crisper, 

sparks are ignited, and 

other happy dimensions 

open ultimately filling 

life with wonderful new 

discoveries. 

With this in mind, both 

my artistic point of view 

and life philosophy are 

filled with love and light.” 

– Anna Marchenko 


85

ALLEGRETTOS 

AURAL FIXATION 

aCappella 

It would be easy to conclude that the musical qualities 

of the human voice were the first musical instruments 

used by humanity. Over time, myriad instruments 

have been invented by people and used solo and for 

accompanying the voice in performance. 

MUSTARD SEEDS 

A capella singers, however, choose to use the human voice 

exclusively, the voice without any accompanying musical 

inventions. All tones, all ranges, and all harmonies are 

created only with the use of the human voicebox. 

BASS LINE 

Today, the term, ‘a capella’, or ‘acapella’, means essentially 

just that: singing without musical instruments. Students 

at Boston University in Massachusetts have been engaged 

in a capella singing for some thirty years, doing so mostly 

to fulfill the human drive for artistic creativity, and doing 

that with a style and charisma that keeps the orchestration 

alive and thriving semester by semester. Take a look here 

at the current groups engaged in this delightful art form, 

and learn more at bostonuniversityacappella.com. 

FORTE 


TERPSICHORE 

CHORDIALLY YOURS

DEAR ABBEYS 

SUNO 

TREBLE MAKERS 

KOL ECHAD 

IN ACHORD 


87

Midnight Oil 

But Tod’s been writing for a lot longer 

than he has been in real estate. “Both 

my parents were published poets in 

small regional publications. They both 

enjoyed writing and I remember back 

home in South Dakota when the three 

of us sat around the table just to write 

poems. I was probably seven or eight – I 

wish I had what I wrote, but I don’t. 

That would be fun to see. I still have a 

lot of poems that my mom and my dad 

wrote.” 

Tod Christensen has always loved 

poetry, but he’s quick to say that he 

doesn’t consider himself a poet and that 

he doesn’t really write poems. “I write 

stories that rhyme. I’ve always found this 

to be a really good way of expression. 

It can convey a lot of emotion and 

whatever the emotion is, I’ve always 

found it to be a really neat way for me to 

express it.” 

Tod’s style of lowercase and no 

punctuation seems to reflect a certain 

stream of consciousness approach. 

He explained, “Art is always being 

interpreted, so although on a few rare 

occasions, I would bold a word or throw 

in some punctuation to really make a 

point, I really feel the lack of capital 

letters and certainly punctuation allows 

for a little more open interpretation 

by the reader that may allow them to 

immerse themselves in the writing in the 

Tod 

"A poem captures a moment, a feeling, 

an emotion ∼ A story tells a story with a 

beginning, a middle and an end." 

Christensen 

By Lynn Alison Trombetta 

way they want to, not necessarily 

the way that I would direct them to.” 

By day, Tod manages two of the offices 

for Russ Lyon Sotheby’s in Sedona. 

Until recently, Tod wrote mostly 

for himself, occasionally 

sharing choice pieces 

with a handful of 

friends and maybe a 

few family members. 

“I would typically write 

one about every three 

or four years. But all of 

a sudden I just had such 

an outpouring of emotion 

that I started writing one poem 

after another. As I started to share them 

with more people, each was really well 

received. People told me they really like 

them and I started to feel like there was 

a real message here, and I thought the 

timing is right – a lot of people needed 

to hear this message right now.” 

Some are able to see themselves so 

vividly in Tod’s writing that it clearly 

brings forth emotion and several have 

commented with tears in their eyes, “It’s 

as if you wrote this about me!” 

“That’s when I realized there’s 

something special at work here.” Over 

time, when I showed all of my poems 

to a small group of people that really 

enjoyed them, inevitably each would 

say, “Oh, that’s my favorite!” And I liked 

hearing that because every single poem 

was somebody’s favorite.” 


When asked to describe his writing, Tod is quick replies, “I like 

to write stories that rhyme. And I like the thought of somebody 

being really immersed in the story without even realizing that 

it hits home for them personally until the end. That’s what I 

enjoy most- throwing out little hidden meanings within the 

story.” 

To illustrate this Tod adds, My poem, “Through the Storm” is 

about an old sailing crew that has to pass through a storm, they 

don’t have any choice, and at the end of the poem you realize 

that the poem is not necessarily only about the storm, but the 

storm is a euphemism for life. You can’t skirt life; you can’t find 

a harbor; you can’t hide from it. You have to sail through it.” 

Tod’s debut book of his work, “Redemption: The World 

According to U” was released in Fall, 2022. 

She Walked 

By Tod Christensen, December 1, 2021 

She was strolling through her memories one day 

Passing by her childhood and her friends she would play 

She rounded the corner to her teenage years 

And winced at the moments that had brought her to tears 

After her teens she entered the young adult block 

Where she had to take an honest look at herself and take stock 

Falling in love was what everyone expected and she fell 

But it wasn’t really love and time would tell 

“Airborne” by Lynn Alison Trombetta 

Sure there would be some happiness and the children she adored 

But life wasn’t what it should be and that fact she clearly ignored 

She saw herself buying into all the false gods 

Trying to find happiness with the external and facades 

She watched herself become someone she didn’t even know 

Gone was her self confidence from long ago 

She saw herself trying her best to conform 

And when she didn’t oh how it brought on the storm 

The marriage ended mercifully but painfully as well 

At that low moment she covered up and went into her shell 

But then something truly amazing occurred 

Because in her mind and her heart something had stirred 

She remembered who she was and was always meant to be 

Strength, beauty, grace and kindness was she 

She began to live the life she should have always had 

It's never too late and her heart was now glad 

She smiled as she passed through the next decade or two 

She saw all the memories and the time and how it flew 

Her only regret now was that she wished she could explain 

To her beautiful self that time would eventually drain 

“A Walk in the Rain” 

by Lynn xAlison Trombetta 

How every day and moment is precious and quick 

And to stop wasting time as the clock steadily ticks 

She wished she could shake herself and wished she had talked 

To herself as she neared the end of the journey she walked 


89

Regina 

Goddard 

R 

egina Goddard loves to paint. Like many artists, Regina 

went from dreaming about being a creative to becoming 

one! Her pieces are created plein air on-site and in studio. “I 

love painting something which encourages others to value 

and enjoy creation and nature,” she says. Being on location 

fills her own senses with appreciation, and that finds its way 

onto the canvas. 


Midnight Oil 

“Oils!” That’s the answer she gives 

when asked about her medium of 

choice. “I began with acrylic but 

with some encouragement from an 

artist friend, Mary Lois Brown, I 

transitioned to oil and it has been 

my favorite ever since. For me, oil 

paint just mixes more beautifully…” 

Regina’s work is often purchased by 

guests and visitors to a short-term 

home stay property they operate 

on Lake Norman, northeast of 

Charlotte, North Carolina. 

2023 holds hope of reaching a couple of milestones in her life 

as an artist, for she and her husband will move into a new home 

being built this year on the shores of Lake Norman, and that 

home will have a studio that will allow Regina to reach yet another 

milestone in her pursuit of her painting career, to have a dedicated 

space to teach others. She will teach children and adults the joys 

of pursuing their own creative dreams as an artist. Visit Regina at: 

Timshelgallery.com and Timshelgallery on Instagram. 


91

Midnight Oil 

Kia Rooei 

Called to the Keys 

Kia Rooei is a motivated teen pianist 

who came to the instrument only 

about a year ago. Though all in his family 

are musically inclined, and he is in fact a 

guitarist, he did not get excited about music 

until one day while watching television he 

heard a melody played on piano – and was 

simply awestruck. Peering more intently at 

the potential of this instrument he became 

magnetized by the comparative complexity 

of the piano. He just had to learn it. The 

motivational piece that got him up and 

going to the keys was composed by Frederic 

Chopin, titled Nocturne Opus 9 Number 2 

in E-flat major. 

Initially he learned all pieces by ear, but 

is rapidly progressing as a reader and 

composer of music. 

Recently, while walking in La Jolla, 

California, fifteen year old Kia noticed 

a piano in an art gallery and asked if he 

might play it. His energy and passion for 

the performance was notable and came 

to the attention of the gallery director, 

Steve Lundquist. 

When it was learned that he was eagerly 

practicing for a scheduled High School 

performance in Ramona, California, 

and that he had been studiously preparing 

Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, 

Third Movement, for that event he was 

invited to come back during an already 

scheduled production and perform a 

dress rehearsal. His family supported and 

encouraged him to do it – and he did, to 

92 ARTSOURCE rousing applause.4 America

“Goodnight,” Mom says, 

as she turns off the light. 

But I like staying awake 

more than sleeping at night! 

First in a New Series by Lynn Alison Trombetta! 

With over 20 beautiful, full-page color illustrations Abbey’s 

bedtime antics promise to be a fun read for the whole family! 

This sweet pet story with bright, full-page illustrations is told by Abbey the 

Puppy in rhyming text that children will want to read again and again. 

Available at Amazon.com 

or your favorite bookseller. 

Hardcover : 40 pages 

8.5”x 8.5” 

ISBN: 978-0-9744878-7-8 

www.LynnTrombetta.com 

Abbey the Puppy has a new home, but she likes staying 

awake more than going to sleep! This colorfully illustrated 

children's book tells the story of Abbey the Puppy's view of 

bedtime through verse. It’s a trying time for her new Mom, 

but Abbey soon learns that everybody sleeps and she is 

safe and loved in her new home. Vibrant illustrations and 

rhythmic prose keep the story moving. 

It’s a perfect gift for boys and girls of all ages and is 

delightful to read together, especially for those who 

resist bedtime. 

A new puppy brings great joy into the family, but just like 

children, Abbey has to adapt to family routines. Join the 

newly adopted puppy as she learns that everybody sleeps 

and she is snuggled and cuddled and she is not alone. 

Ideal for toddlers, children ages 3-8, and all dog and 

animal lovers! 


93

The Call of Beauty 

MASTERWORKS BY NAMPEYO OF HOPI 

A New Book by Edwin L. Wade and Allan R. Cooke 

Reviewed by James D. Balestrieri 

The Call of Beauty, Masterworks by Nampeyo of Hopi, by Edwin 

L. Wade and Allan R. Cooke, is a new, beautifully written and 

sumptuously illustrated book on this remarkable artist. But more 

important than the beauty of the book is its groundbreaking view 

of Indigenous art forms. Most books on Native American arts 

confine themselves to the ethnographic background, implying by 

omission, if not more overtly, that Indigenous arts fall short of 

the personal aspirations that mark artistic traditions historically 

seen as more sophisticated. In The Call of Beauty, the aesthetic 

power and artistic value of the oeuvre of one Indigenous artist, 

Nampeyo, is convincingly asserted. Throughout, Wade and 

Cooke discuss thorny questions of beauty, quality, and taste, 

acknowledging their position as non-Natives, chronicling their 

decades of study, and detailing their criteria of judgement. 

Nampeyo was born circa 1860 on First Mesa, atop a sandstone 

Pueblo some hundred miles northeast of Flagstaff, Arizona. 

Women on both sides of her family were potters. In the 1880s, 

ancient pottery forms, especially Sikyatki pottery, inspired 

Nampeyo and brought her to the attention of anthropologists, 

dealers, and collectors. Not content to tell this story, however, 

The Call of Beauty, Masterworks by Nampeyo of Hopi centers its 

gaze on Nampeyo’s artistic vision, technical innovations, and her 


interpretation of her world through extraordinary works, 

making the case for her as an important world artist, and, 

in her own way, a modernist. As Wade writes, “Nampeyo 

created an aesthetic, intellectual, and emotive portal into 

the core of Hopi experience, but also into the transcultural 

experience of beauty.” Some of Nampeyo’s finest works can 

be seen in the Allan and Judith Cooke Collection of Hopi 

Pottery, on view at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of 

the West. westernspirit.org. The Call of Beauty, Masterworks by 

Nampeyo of Hopi is currently available at the Sue and Robert 

Karatz Store at Western Spirit. 

www.shop.scottsdalemuseumwest.org/books. 4 


95



5

EXPERIENCE THE ULTIMATE GALLERY 

EXPERIENCE THE ULTIMATE GALLERY 

“One of the Largest 

and Most Unique Galleries 

in the World” 

You’re 

You’re Invited 

Invited 

ExposuresFineArt.com Sales@ExposuresFineArt.com 561 State Route 179, Sedona, AZ 86336 928-282-1125 

ExposuresFineArt.com Sales@ExposuresFineArt.com 561 State Route 179, Sedona, AZ 86336 928-282-1125 


©2021 ©2023 Exposures International LLC 

©2021 Exposures International LLC

ARTSource America - Volume Eight

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?