Art Formats for Southwest Landscape Art & Wall Décor
Luminous Metal Print
Canvas Gallery Wrap
Luxurious Float-Frame
Gift Art Photo-Plaque
Giclée Art Print
Southwest Gift Cards
Inspiration for ‘Pure Joy’ at Cathedral Rock
Pure Joy is one of my most meaningful paintings, created to capture the grandeur of Sedona’s Cathedral Rock. To show its scale, I added a lone human figure to scale at the saddle—a rare choice in my work. That small presence makes the towering spires unmistakable. With that recognition comes awe, which naturally turns into gratitude. That shift is what inspired the painting’s name.
I painted Pure Joy with fluorescent acrylics because they make colors behave like light itself. In daylight, the desert hues shine brightly: sienna cliffs, cobalt skies, and deep greens. The scene transforms. The pigments glow, edges become sharper, and the spires appear to lift forward while the sky darkens, creating a subtle 3-D effect. It’s an experience unique to the original, though reproductions still capture much of its layered brilliance.
Canvas gallery wraps and luminous metal prints radiate the energy of Sedona’s horizon, while giclée art prints make it available in smaller sizes. Collectors often select this piece as a focal point for living rooms, entryways, or offices, where its peaceful grandeur fills the space without overwhelming it.
Hidden hearts are woven into the desert forms, quiet invitations for discovery. They echo Sedona’s ancient tales—like the legend of Lover’s View, the sister painting to Pure Joy. In that story, two quarreling lovers were turned into stone spires, forever together yet back-to-back, a timeless reminder that love and pride must find balance. It’s here that they are looking at their own shadow. That mythic romance and the hearts in Pure Joy share a familiar spirit: that the land itself carries lessons of humility and connection.
Within my broader body of work, Pure Joy connects directly to other Cathedral Rock pieces like Cathedral Moon and Creekside Cathedral, licensed by Warner Bros, as well as to later fluorescent works such as Devil’s Bridge and Coyote’s Lunar Serenade. Together, they demonstrate my ongoing dialogue with Sedona’s landscape, each exploring scale, presence, and light in its own unique way.
For me, Pure Joy is more than a painting. It’s a reminder of what happens when awe gives way to gratitude. It invites viewers to breathe a little deeper, to see Cathedral Rock not just with their eyes, but with their hearts.
Clark Sheppard’s work is also featured at the Village Gallery and Sedona Artist Market and Gallery, both located in Sedona, AZ.
Transform Your Space with Pure Joy Original Artwork
From $49 to $919
Pure Joy
Pure Joy captures Sedona’s Cathedral Rock with a lone hiker to scale. Painted in fluorescent acrylics, the original reveals a 3-D glow under black light. At the same time, reproductions preserve its brilliance, hidden hearts, and connection to its sister painting, Lover’s View, inspired by Sedona legend.
✨ Enjoy the story behind the art?
You’re invited to a free Sedona studio tour — see where the magic happens.
🎁 Don’t forget to join my free art giveaway for a chance to win a gallery-wrapped canvas giclée.
Transform Your Space with Pure Joy Original Artwork
From $49 to $919
Pure Joy
Pure Joy captures Sedona’s Cathedral Rock with a lone hiker to scale. Painted in fluorescent acrylics, the original reveals a 3-D glow under black light. At the same time, reproductions preserve its brilliance, hidden hearts, and connection to its sister painting, Lover’s View, inspired by Sedona legend.
✨ Enjoy the story behind the art?
You’re invited to a free Sedona studio tour — see where the magic happens.
🎁 Don’t forget to join my free art giveaway for a chance to win a gallery-wrapped canvas giclée.
Art Formats for Southwest Landscape Art & Wall Décor
Luminous Metal Print
Canvas Gallery Wrap
Luxurious Float-Frame
Gift Art Photo-Plaque
Giclée Art Print
Southwest Gift Cards
Inspiration for ‘Pure Joy’ at Cathedral Rock
Pure Joy is one of my most meaningful paintings, created to capture the grandeur of Sedona’s Cathedral Rock. To show its scale, I added a lone human figure to scale at the saddle—a rare choice in my work. That small presence makes the towering spires unmistakable. With that recognition comes awe, which naturally turns into gratitude. That shift is what inspired the painting’s name.
I painted Pure Joy with fluorescent acrylics because they make colors behave like light itself. In daylight, the desert hues shine brightly: sienna cliffs, cobalt skies, and deep greens. The scene transforms. The pigments glow, edges become sharper, and the spires appear to lift forward while the sky darkens, creating a subtle 3-D effect. It’s an experience unique to the original, though reproductions still capture much of its layered brilliance.
Canvas gallery wraps and luminous metal prints radiate the energy of Sedona’s horizon, while giclée art prints make it available in smaller sizes. Collectors often select this piece as a focal point for living rooms, entryways, or offices, where its peaceful grandeur fills the space without overwhelming it.
Hidden hearts are woven into the desert forms, quiet invitations for discovery. They echo Sedona’s ancient tales—like the legend of Lover’s View, the sister painting to Pure Joy. In that story, two quarreling lovers were turned into stone spires, forever together yet back-to-back, a timeless reminder that love and pride must find balance. It’s here that they are looking at their own shadow. That mythic romance and the hearts in Pure Joy share a familiar spirit: that the land itself carries lessons of humility and connection.
Within my broader body of work, Pure Joy connects directly to other Cathedral Rock pieces like Cathedral Moon and Creekside Cathedral, licensed by Warner Bros, as well as to later fluorescent works such as Devil’s Bridge and Coyote’s Lunar Serenade. Together, they demonstrate my ongoing dialogue with Sedona’s landscape, each exploring scale, presence, and light in its own unique way.
For me, Pure Joy is more than a painting. It’s a reminder of what happens when awe gives way to gratitude. It invites viewers to breathe a little deeper, to see Cathedral Rock not just with their eyes, but with their hearts.
Clark Sheppard’s work is also featured at the Village Gallery and Sedona Artist Market and Gallery, both located in Sedona, AZ.