Sedona’s Favorite Art Gallery and Gift Shop

The Village Gallery of Local Artists is pleased to feature Jodie Ball’s vivid oil paintings during the month of December. She has been a valued member of the gallery for six years.

Colorful dancers, dramatic skies, desert flowers and exotic architecture are strikingly depicted in Ball’s paintings. Her practice of patiently mixing her pallet and using meticulously cleaned brushes ensures her signature clear, true colors. Her work reflects her diverse passions for art, science, archeology and world travel.

Born and raised in Texas, Ball was first introduced to art during a summer spent painting outside with her artist grandmother. Later, she took art classes in high school and wanted to double major in art and science in college. Because that option wasn’t available, she chose to follow her first passion which was science, and vowed to return to art once she retired.

Ball earned a Masters and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and spent 27 years as a Research and Development scientist in the Dallas area. Her work gave her the opportunity to travel in Europe and visit many great art museums. She also extensively read art books, and grew to appreciate all genres, from the great masters to modern artists. Through these years her travels and studies kept her passion for painting alive.

When Ball retired, she took a painting class and surprised herself with her ability. She explained “It was as though I had been painting in my head all those years; like all those lovely paintings I viewed during my travels had rubbed off.”

Ball and her husband, John Gafford, moved to Sedona twelve years ago. Ball frequently participates in painting workshops and classes. She says “I enjoy both studio and plein air painting and the challenge of diverse subjects. My husband and I continue to travel a lot.”

Ball is currently working on a portrait of her 2 granddaughters in dance costumes and a large canvas on the Passion Facade of the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona.

The art loving public is invited to meet Jodie Ball and experience her body of work at a reception on Friday December 5th from 5-8pm. Light refreshments will be served at this free event and many Village Gallery members will be there as well.

The Village Gallery of Local Artists is located at 6512 State Route 179, in the Village of Oak Creek. The gallery accepts applications for unique art and new membership in their cooperative style gallery. For more information, go to sedonalocalartists.com or phone (928) 284-1416.