LAKE HAVASU CITY – This season, the Havasu Art Trail will be entering its fourth year displaying more than 60 artists. Organized by the Havasu Art Center, jewelry, photography, fused glass, and significantly more, will showcase a variety of their creativities at the map-guided exhibit. Visitors to the show will get a chance to meet painters like Cynthia Jenson, who will be participating in the yearly presentation for the first time. The native of Utah’s journey as a painter began as early as junior high school. Jensen remembered it was an art teacher that encouraged her to practice her talents as an artist.
Following the advice, Jensen continued to study other artistic practices such as pottery and oil paintings in high school. Those classes lead to her very first art show and after graduation, she enrolled into the University of Utah as an art major. After two years at the university, the oil painter decided to focus on marriage and starting a family. Continuing to be in the creative sector as an art schoolteacher in Sharpsburg, GA, Jensen was chosen by the school to paint a mural for their wall of a little boy along with the school’s mascot.
Jensen’s interest in being in the art trail was sparked with a visit to last year’s show. Jensen had already made some connections with other local artists when she placed first and third at last year’s Art at the Lake competition for her oil paintings. As someone from a large family, the artist enjoys painting generational photos of grandmothers specifically with their daughters and their children. For Jensen, it’s women who play a huge role for inspiration behind her work.
“I feel that women show their light with society and the world through their children and this is what I like to show the most,” Jensen said. At the trail’s production, spectators will have an opportunity to see her work along with biblical nativity scenes. Not just a painter of portraits, Jensen also is the author of children’s books and adds her own illustrations to the stories. Her books will also be on display.
Enthusiasts of duck decoys will be in for a real treat if they just so happen to run into the carvings of George Alex. Originally from California, Alex has been a resident of Havasu since 2003.The retired firefighter of ten years ago said a colleague handed him a knife and a block of wood and suggested they begin the hobby. Never really making anything of the sort prior, his early days with the craft consisted of demonstration books and videos. At first, the plain decoys just floated in water until he learned to use color to transform into decorative decoys.
The artist’s work was discovered by a local antique store dealer, who saw them at one of his garage sales. Alex’s artwork flourished there as many decoys were purchased. As part owner of downtown Havasu’s Art Center, Alex’s work can be seen daily by locals and tourists. Since the Havasu Art Trail’s launch in 2023, Alex has been an active participant showing community favorites like his duck printed golf clubs, and full-sized decoys.
Many of which will be seen at next weekend’s show. The creator says that over years, the hobby has manifested into an imaginative body of work now enjoyed by the public. It’s past time that has always brought him newfound peace. “Hearing the compliments from the public never gets old and since retiring next to fishing, this hobby is a great stress reliever,” Alex said.
Another artist who is able to originate objects into art is Alaskan inventor Deborah Riva-Robidou. The retired math teacher moved to Havasu ten years ago to care for her resident parents. Parents who the artist said were both very creative. “My dad built farm equipment and my mom was a painter,” Riva-Robidou recalled.
Her hobby in the arts began in theatre productions as a costume designer in Alaska. She also participated as a whale sculpture for the town’s whale festival. While teaching art classes is when Riva-Robidou displayed her creations of small characters made from spare car parts. While taking an economic development course in Havasu is when she met other fellow artists who encouraged her to showcase her art in the annual art trail. Riva-Robidou says inspiration to create the work comes from people and her natural imagination for storytelling.
“When I see people, my brain begins to immediately create back stories about them, based on specific visual traits,” Riva Robidou said. The sculptor who also writes story books, will have characters at this year’s show from famous books. The fun part is that visitors have to guess which books the characters are from. This year’s Havasu Art Trail is a two-day free event that will be taking place on Saturday, February 21 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, February 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
