Goldenstein Gallery artist Susan Makara’s fascination with cairns began during a trip to Sedona in 2000. She never imagined that a morning excursion would take her paintings around the globe, including becoming a favored piece at the United States Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal.

As she hiked, she entered an area and before her were literally hundreds of manmade pillars of balanced rocks. She found herself in a state of awe as she wandered among them. One structure was so large it obviously took the concerted effort of a least four people to build.

Another was taller than she was. She pondered what they were all about. Experiencing a profound sense of connection, she spent the rest of the day photographing these precarious rock piles.

Soon, as Makara describes it, “Rock paintings exploded from me.” Transfixed, she painted well over 100 pieces.
Along the way she discovered that all over the world, from ancient times until present, from mountains to deserts and coasts, people have built cairns. Sometimes they mark a significant place or tomb, serve as communication, mark a trail or have a religious purpose.

Collectors responded to this series with fervor, finding their own sense of balance and calm when viewing these pieces. They have ended up in locations from the U.S. to Ireland to Australia and Germany.

Makara’s art has been selected as the cover image for the Art in Embassies Exhibition catalogue, produced by the U.S. Department of State.

Makara’s Sedona rock paintings possess a three-dimensional quality capturing the true essence of the red rocks and how the light moves across them. One cannot always see it, but Sedona’s red rocks glitter in the sunlight because of the large amount of silica in them. To create this glowing effect, the textures in Makara’s pieces are created with a variety of acrylic gel media applied by palette knife. The highlights and shadows are acrylic and metal leafing.

“Cairns allow us to ponder the balance of life. Painting is my medicine. It calms me. It is healing,” Makara said.

Makara’s work is shown at Goldenstein Gallery in Sedona. Visit GoldensteinArt.com for more information on its artists, artwork, citywide exhibitions, artists in residence and artist coffee talks. Sign up for the informative monthly e-zine or call 204-1765. Open daily, Goldenstein Gallery’s new address is 150 State Route 179, at the corner of State Routes 179 and 89A.