Denise Nichols and Allah Ali Featured at the Village Gallery

VILLAGE GALLERY NOVEMBER 2^nd ART WALK BRINGS ON THE TREES

While residents and visitors to the Verde Valley and Red Rock country may be having a problem finding much in the way of autumn color in the local ash, oak, cottonwood, sycamore and maple trees right now, two artist/members of the Village Gallery of Local Artists are stepping up to help ‘bring on the trees.’

Jeweler, Denise Nichols and wood whisperer/carver Allah Ali will meet and greet the public at the November 2nd First Friday Art Walk, highlighting their own intense connections with the natural world around them. The evening is free to the public. Food, wine, and lively conversations will be served up by the 39 gallery artists from 5-8 pm.

Denise is an Arizona native and former school bus driver who for many years has enjoyed creating affordable jewelry from nature’s gemstones, pearls, and metals. Her extremely popular Tree of Life necklace stylings are made of tiny glittering stones wired into the form of the iconic many-branched tree associated with both religious and spiritual beliefs across many cultures from Buddhism to the Nordic cultures. The Tree of Life symbolizes enlightenment, wisdom, and knowledge. Denise also takes pride in her natural wax candles (beeswax, for example), scented with100% natural essential oils that do not pollute the indoor air, as do candles made of paraffin.

Allah Ali, who spent 29 years as Teacher-Artist in the service of Philadelphia Schools and Parks & Recreation systems, was introduced by a humble street artist named Joe Savage in 1968 to the concept of co-creation and Tree Folk Art. For Allah, working with ‘Beautiful Trees’ is at once artistic and spiritual, taking what he considers a “divine gift from the Divine Source” in the form of old trees and giving the wood new life in his striking carvings of tree spirits. Each tree spirit emerges as a one of a kind living memorial to the wood that inspired it. Each carving takes on its own persona-– from “Gina” to “Crow” to “Bijou.” In Allah’s words, “Trees don’t need us- we need the trees. I am so honored to serve through the Beautiful trees.”

Come out on Friday, November 2^nd from 5-8 pm at The Village Gallery of Local Artists 6700 Hwy 179 Sedona Az 86351 at the Cortez Rd roundabout; look for the Iron Horse.