Yosemite Mist" by D. Michael McCarthy, 18" x 24", oil.

An artist’s eye on America’s national parks July 3-10

(Sedona, Arizona • June 19, 2009) El Prado by the Creek celebrates the National Parks of America in a show running from July 3 – 10. The Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Saguaro, Yellowstone are just some of the National Parks depicted by El Prado artists featured in this commemoration of natural western splendor.

John Cogan, recently named one of the Grand Canyon Association’s Modern Masters, captures the majesty of the canyon’s wide expanses, towering skies and rich hues. Cogan leads expeditions and classes throughout the Grand Canyon introducing other painters to the sites that have inspired his career.

Scott Prior, also recognized by the Grand Canyon Association to participate in the canyon’s Plein Air competition, brings intimacy to the canvas. Whether painting a frozen river snaking through the forest or a windswept California seascape, he creates a scene that becomes more than visual for the viewer, a setting with whispering sounds and a thick consistency the viewer can touch.

D. Michael McCarthy treks the National Parks to familiarize himself with a location before painting it, finding the scene that inspires him, that wakes the emotion he recreates on canvas. McCarthy’s hero is Thomas Moran, and his paintings clearly reveal the influence of the Hudson River School in McCarthy’s portrayal of the beauty and grandeur of the National Parks.

Kate Starling discovers the effect and feel of light on the landscape, the subtle shades and tones the desert sun casts on the cliffs, washes and cactus. She reveals the texture of the air: morning crispness, mid-day swelter and evening ease. Her work has recently won awards at several regional competitions including the Carmel Art Festival and the Plein Air Festival in Tucson. One of her paintings was accepted in the prestigious Oil Painters of America National Exhibition held in Palm Desert, California.

Celebrate our National Parks and discover art inspired by the timeless beauty of our country. The opening reception for the show is Friday, July 3 from 5 – 8 p.m.

El Prado by the Creek is located in Tlaquepaque Village, 336 State Route 179, Sedona, Arizona. Established in 1976, the gallery is a standard for fine art in Sedona. The gallery and gardens are open daily 10 – 5 (summer hours: weekdays open until 6:00 p.m., Friday & Saturday until 7:00 p.m.). El Prado by the Creek can be contacted at 928-282-7390 and at www.ElPradoGalleries.com.