Arizona Fine Art Expo Highlights Works of Four Exhibiting Artists, Now thru 3/24

The Arizona Fine Art Expo highlights the works of four exhibiting artists and the stories behind their latest works, now through March 24, 2013.

Charles Huckeba's 'Goober Series' utilizes dried chips of paint applied in various layers creating an overlay that initiates a need for the viewer to look below the surface. Philip Feaster chisels memories of his childhood into slate. Beth Hyatt Rapp brings the Samburu Tribe of Kenya to her canvas and Jess Davila puts the finishing touches to The Davis C. Utz Award.

CHARLES HUCKEBA: Charles's current series is a palimpsest. Indeed, it could be said that Huckeba is a palimpsest! The origin of the word, 'Latin palimpsestus, from Greek palimps?stos scraped again, from palin + ps?n to rub, scrape; akin to Sanskrit ps?ti, babhasti he chews' summarizes both the artist and his art.

Huckeba's influences are varied, including Paul Klee, Jean Dubuffet, Adolf Gotlieb, Cy Twombly, Wassily Kandinsky, and Joan Miro. Charles and his wife Jill have spent years exploring, and recording the rich load of prehistoric pictographs and petroglyphs found in the Western United States Great Basin.

From his academic foundation, Huckeba combines and integrates various painting techniques to render rock art designs he had seen into a contemporary presentation. The results are works held in corporate collections of the University of Northern Arizona, the University of California at Santa Barbara Art Museum, the CEU Prehistoric Museum, and the Museum of the San Rafael.

His abstract contemporary art is also shown in fine art galleries, in Arizona. Numerous private collectors throughout the United States, England, and France. Huckeba states "Rock art is the first American Abstract art. What brings petroglyphs to life is the stone beneath the patina (a varnish created by the desert heat and elements over thousands of years). As the surface patina of the rock is removed, the interior is exposed. This is how we see the prehistoric artist's mark. "My paint application is multi-layered and textural. The image elements are scratched, etched, and scoured under and over the strata's of pigment such as the numerous superimpositions found in petroglyphs. My goal is to build a link between contemporary and prehistoric art."

Visit Charles Huckeba in his studio 46-47 or online at http://bit.ly/10O109D.

BETH HYATT-RAPP: Beth is renowned for her remarkable portraits paintings of both humans and animals, particularly animals from Africa. The transition to the Samburu Tribe from Kenya, Africa was so natural, and the resulting collection is a must-see!

Growing up in Jacksonville, Illinois, as a child Beth always drew. "It was a wonderful pastime and gave me pleasure in entering contests where I was recognized for my ability to draw."

After graduation She moved to Chicago in pursuit of an art career at the Art Institute of Chicago, but being tall and thin, she found herself swept into the world of fashion. Growing up dancing and teaching dance during her teen years, it was as easy for Beth to move in front of a camera as it was for her to breathe.

Beth moved to Arizona in 2002 giving her the opportunity to devote her time solely to art. For the first two years, she did nothing but draw. Beth remarks, "When I felt I was ready to start painting, I was not sure which paints and brushes to use, or even how to begin a painting!"

Hyatt-Rapp enjoys watching people and animals, their actions and reactions to the environment around them. "I always carrying my camera with me where ever I go. I want to seek and capture their emotion, looking into the eyes. What are they thinking? What do they want? What is their character? Even though, the animals can't talk I want to convey what the animals are saying because they do speak a very loud universal language. I find as much emotion in my animal portraits as I do in my human faces."

Visit Beth Hyatt Rapp in her studio 92-93 or online at http://bit.ly/16vR9t7.

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