Every artist has a moment when something changes forever. For me, that moment didn’t start with a brush but with a psychic reading. After six years away from painting—a period when I genuinely believed I might never paint again—I discovered that my spirit guide was a Navajo Indian. That revelation was more than just symbolic; it was a call back to the canvas and the landscapes that always spoke to me.
Answering that call, I created Creekside Cathedral, my first oil painting after a career primarily shaped by watercolors. It depicted the west side of Sedona’s Cathedral Rock, long recognized as a vortex of mystical energy, glowing in vibrant oil tones. This was not just another painting. It was a rebirth—my first step back into art after six silent years.
Collectors responded deeply. In 2016, Creekside Cathedral was licensed by Warner Bros. for their streaming series Snatchers. Three years later, in 2019, I was sponsored to exhibit twelve of my originals at the American Contemporary Art Show in Guangzhou, China. Creekside Cathedral hung alongside works like Sedona Cactus, Fire in the Sky, Sweet Dreams, and Sky of Grace, all of which were sold into private collections. Seeing Sedona’s sacred red rocks travel across the globe and connect with people from other cultures was profoundly affirming.
However, Cathedral Moon initially began as something more subdued—a commissioned project. A Sedona collector loved Creekside Cathedral and asked if I could reimagine it by adding a glowing moon and expanding it into a triptych large enough to fill her great room. What started as a simple request quickly turned into something transformative.
The addition of the moon transformed everything. It brought night magic and balance, creating a sense of reverence that extended beyond daylight. The triptych layout stretched the composition into a panoramic view, allowing the viewer to feel as if standing beneath the real Sedona moon.
From that commission, Cathedral Moon was created. While Creekside Cathedral marked my rebirth as an artist, Cathedral Moon became the signature best-seller of my Cathedral Rock series. Collectors responded to the way it glowed—not with spectacle but with presence, inhabiting a space rather than overwhelming it.
Why does Cathedral Moon resonate so deeply? Part of the answer is its balance between earth and sky. Cathedral Rock is instantly recognizable, but under moonlight it transforms into something otherworldly. The glowing interplay of red rock and silver moon invites viewers to reflect, breathe more deeply, and connect with Sedona’s energy on a different level.
Collectors often tell me the painting transforms their rooms. Hung in a great room, entryway, or office, it radiates a calm presence. It doesn’t shout; it glows. That’s the kind of feedback I treasure most because it means the painting is doing more than just showing a space—it’s offering a way of being.
Cathedral Moon also connects to my broader body of work. It developed from Creekside Cathedral and is displayed alongside other Cathedral Rock pieces, such as Sedona’s Cathedral Rock – A Vivid Beginning to Sheppard’s Journey and Fire in the Sky. These works explore different aspects of Sedona’s most iconic landmark—sometimes fiery, sometimes peaceful, always glowing.
In my later career, fluorescent acrylics expanded my vocabulary for light. Works like Coyote’s Lunar Serenade, Tequila Sunrise, and Devil’s Bridge demonstrated how color could glow with three-dimensionality under black light. But Cathedral Moon remains the meditative counterpoint: born from oils, anchored in moonlight, and steeped in reverence.
For me, Cathedral Moon serves as a reminder that artistic growth doesn’t follow a straight path. It’s a series of doors. One door opened when a psychic reading reconnected me with my Navajo spirit guide and with the art of painting itself. Another opened when a collector’s request led to a transformative new piece. Together, those steps created a painting that continues to resonate across time and distance.
Today, Cathedral Moon glows in homes around the world, available as giclée art prints, canvas gallery wraps, luminous metal prints, and gift photo plaques. Whether displayed as a panoramic centerpiece or a smaller print, it carries the same essence: Cathedral Rock bathed in moonlight, Sedona’s spirit made visible.
Explore Cathedral Moon and the full “Top Nine” collection here:
https://sedonaartstudios.com