After my husband Miro and I turned left at the corner of Three Points and Ajo, we barely saw another car for an hour as we drove through miles of green desert to Rancho de al Osa in Sasabe, Arizona. The ranch has been in existence since the 1800s when the King of Spain gave the Oritz brothers a land grant of 1.3 million acres that stretched from Mexico all the way to the base of Picacho Peak.

We were the first guests to arrive for the Labor Day weekend, and the small staff had lunch ready for us in the main house—ham roll-ups, deviled eggs and a green salad, with chocolate butterscotch cookies for dessert. The walls of the dining room were 3 feet thick and held the secrets of the five families who had lived here during the past two centuries.

The Spirit Animals tell the story of Diana’s deep connection to animals –a recurrent passion throughout her life.

Growing up, Diana lived in an apartment attached to her dad’s veterinary hospital and loved watching him care for animals. As a child, Diana helped out where she could, from filling pet prescriptions to working as her father’s surgical nurse when she was in college. When people dropped off abandoned wild birds, squirrels, or rabbits, Diana fed them and provided the care they needed. From a young age, she always had great compassion for these injured animals and prayed for magical healing powers to ease their suffering.

Magical Greek Odyssey – the Real Story

In 1993, I went to Greece to paint and it changed my life. So why return 25 years later and what happened this time? Here’s the inside story…

Part 1- Everything is new and wonderful- or is it?

After months of planning and preparation, at last I head for Greece for a painting workshop. Artists of all levels continue to study with mentors to ever improve technique, share critiques of their work, and enjoy the camaraderie of painting with others.

Inspired by the Colors of Arizona 

An article by Jane Sandwood, Therapist/Freelance writer

The Subtle Effect That Art Can Have On Improving Mental Health

An article by Jane Sandwood, Therapist/Freelance writer

By Diana Madaras

I was so enthralled with capturing the light on the cliffs that I did not pay attention to where I was walking. At the end of the wide dirt drive in front of the last cabin, I stopped to raise the camera to my eye when I glimpsed a large brown mound next to my foot. Some part of my being realized it was a snake. It was right next to my foot! I jumped three feet sideways as he rattled at me. The snake rose up and lashed out...

By Brian @ Madaras Gallery

In our previous Bigfoot Blog, we spoke about employing the rule of thirds to improve the composition in paintings and photography. During that discussion, the subject of focal points came up. We’re going to continue exploring that concept.

By Diana Madaras

I am not a formula painter with a step-by-step routine that I follow every time. I never want my process to become rote or boring, so when artist/teacher Derek Penix suggested I start my newest painting with wild, crazy brushstrokes, I got excited.

By Brian @ Madaras Gallery

There it is in front of you... the perfect picture moment.

It could be a vivid sunset painted lushly across the sky. Perhaps it’s your child in a moment that you want to remember forever. Or maybe you just came across Bigfoot (again), and nobody believed you last time. Either way, it’s beautiful and needs to be captured for posterity. Fortunately, you have your camera handy. You snap away with confidence and eagerly check your photo...

By Brian @ Madaras Gallery

Color selection can greatly change your emotional perception of a piece. But there are other, more subtle aspects that also influence how a work of art affects you. An equally powerful tool at the artist’s disposal is composition. That’s a fancy name for a basic concept: composition simply refers to how the artist places the elements we see in the art.

By Diana Madaras

Rancho de la Osa (Ranch of the Bear) is tucked away at the end of the earth in Sasabe, Arizona—less than two hours southwest of Tucson. As we pulled in, the giant sycamores rustled their low hanging leaves like flouncy Flamenco skirts.

By Diana Madaras

Clementine shied,  side-stepped, and spun around. The flaps of my hat blew up, and that scared her more. She bolted.

By Diana Madaras

Since I’d broken my hand, fear clouded any adventure that involved a possible fall. I’d spent 11 months in five different contraptions rehabbing my poor fingers and worrying if I’d be able to paint again. Now I was speeding down the road on a mini motorcycle.

By Brian @ Madaras Gallery

The paintings of Diana Madaras have been praised for their bold use of color. So I’d like to talk a little about some basic color theory in her work. In particular, I’ll discuss the striking use of complementary hues in two of her paintings.

By Madaras Gallery Staff

Anyone who has ever spent a significant amount of time creating an artistic work has experienced the desire to give up at some point. However, Diana Madaras finds that quitting in the middle of a painting simply isn't an option - she finishes it no matter what. And here's why...

By Madaras Gallery Staff

Color is powerful, and it's not just a matter of opinion. There have been numerous studies done on the effects of color on the human mind (a field called chromodynamics), and many of the principles discovered have been incorporated into our lives without us even knowing it. For example, simply changing the color of an "Act Now!" button from green to red on a sales website resulted in a 21% increase in conversion. Make no mistake - color matters.

By Diana Madaras

Often when I work, I like to listen to the TV. It keeps me company during the very solitary endeavor of painting and distracts my critical left brain. Last week, I "listened" to Wild - the movie starring Reese Witherspoon - about the woman who hiked 1200 miles on the Pacific Coast Trail. I was very taken with the story and often had to stop painting to gaze at the beautiful scenery.