Saguaro Pollock by Diana Madaras
Kiley Kennedy
Love Affair: The 2021 Annual Show explores subject matter closest to the heart of award-winning painter Diana Madaras.
“I have lived in Tucson for over 40 years, and continue to find infinite inspiration in the diverse landscape and wildlife surrounding us,” says Madaras. This year, her annual show will include 20 new works covering a wide variety of subjects from abstract saguaros to desert animal portraits. In each piece, Madaras’ love of painting radiates from the canvas through vibrant colors and expressive brush strokes.
Diana Madaras is well-known for her awe-inspiring desert landscapes, and several of these will be included in the show. In Pink Ocotillo II and Take the High Road, her bright color palette and signature style capture the unique personality of the Arizona landscape.
Love Affair also features three new paintings in the artists’ master series. This series focuses on Madaras’ signature subject matter (saguaros) painted in the style of the old masters. New works include: Saguaro Frida—a portrait of the famous painter intertwined with the ribs of the saguaro; Saguaro Pollock—a fun and loose depiction of the cactus with swirls of paint thrown on the canvas; and Saguaro Raphael—a cherub gazing up at the North Star. With the addition of these three new paintings, the master series now includes eight works of art.
Four new garden scenes inspired by Tucson’s Hacienda del Sol are also included. Madaras’ watercolors playfully illustrate the charming Hacienda courtyard filled with lush vegetation and colorful Talavera pottery.
Animals are another of Madaras’ favorite subjects to paint. A collection of bird portraits, a cow, a bobcat mom and baby, a stately coyote, and two lionesses drinking from a pond in Africa will be featured in the show. These portraits emphasize an attention to detail, capturing the soul of each animal through her paintbrush.
View Love Affair at Madaras Gallery from Oct. 11 through Nov. 7. Opening weekend is Saturday, Oct. 23, and Sunday, Oct. 24. To book a private preview of the original art, call the Gallery for an appointment at 520-615-3001.
Preview the show online starting Oct. 11 at www.madaras.com/2021show. Madaras Gallery is located at 3035 N. Swan Road, Tucson, AZ 85712. For more information, contact 520-615-3001 or [email protected].