Five friends put their heads and hands together to do something they’ve never done before.

No, they’re not a new cheer squad, but they are cheerleaders for each other. They are artists individually, and decided to put a combined show together at the Yavapai College Verde Art Gallery.

“We’re all from Sedona. We got together as friends about three years ago. We visit once a month,” ceramist Ruth Butler said. “We’ve all shown our art before but this is the first time as a group.”

Lifelines, the exhibit, will debut at an opening reception Friday, Jan. 29, at from 4 to 7 p.m.

The youngest of the five, Butler, has been involved with clay for about 40 years and will have nearly three dozen pieces in the show. The others, according to one of them, have passed their platinum birthdays, the 75th.

These women possess a high energy and creativity that keeps them much younger than their years. Many are proficient in more than one art form.

Jean Franck creates sculptures, portraits, drawings, paintings, photographs and poems.

“In her most recent works, Franck creates poetic, artistic magic with pastels, and this keeps her creative energy going as well as inspiring our group,” fellow artist Ellie Haga said.

Upon entering Haga’s home, she states, “Everything you see I made.”

Her father taught her how to create things so every piece of furniture, wall hanging, lamp, plant stand and artwork flowed from her hands.

Looking like plants arising from the carpet are several pieces of Haga’s large works in her downstairs gallery. She creates whimsical, rounded forms painted with bright colors or neutral tones. Some resemble intertwined fingers, like Haga’s “Passion Rising” in bright reds.

Many of her works are placed around her yard and look as if they grew there.

Under Mary Heyborne’s pottery is the simple inscription, “Mari.” Like Butler, she has worked with clay for almost 40 years after taking a class.

“It was the first time I’d ever seen a pot thrown. I decided right there I was going to live my life with clay under my fingernails,” Heyborne said.

All of the dinnerware, mugs, casserole dishes and serving bowls in her kitchen are items she threw, glazed and pit-fired herself.

One piece Heyborne will have at the show is a Mnemosyne [ne moss sinny] pot. Mnemosyne is the mother of the nine Greek muses which represent the sister arts. The pot has nine spigots from which each muse can escape to inspire the artist.

Another of her specialties is sculptures about the size of a walnut shell to about six inches in diameter. She calls them cracked eggs because they open top from bottom.

Heyborne is also a published poet.

Painter, sculptor and writer Theodosia Greene will bring some of her steel sculptures to the show.

“I’ll have about four of them there,” she said.

She has been welding for approximately 30 years, but enjoys working with all of her art forms.

The gallery is located at 601 Black Hills Drive in Clarkdale. For more information call

649-5479. The show will be at the gallery through Monday, March 1. Gallery hours are Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Thursday and Friday, from 12 to 6 p.m.