Unveiling New Dates for the Prestigious 28th Annual Hidden in the Hills Artist Studio Tour

Arizona’s largest and longest-running artist studio tour, Hidden in the Hills (HITH), is set to take place across the last two weekends of November. The self-guided tour will be held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Nov. 22, 23, 24, and Nov. 29, 30, & Dec. 1. This year’s event will feature 179 artists spread out across 44 studios in the Desert Foothills communities of Cave Creek, Carefree, and North Scottsdale.

The Sonoran Arts League, the nonprofit organization behind HITH, has revealed that Ray Richardson’s wood sculpture “Island” will be on the cover of this year’s artist directory. The artwork captures the vibrant moment of a cactus wren launching from a prickly pear cactus.

“Ray’s piece is so unique. His workmanship is outstanding, and we were drawn to the intensity of colors, both on the bird and the cactus,” stated Gail Haire, a long-time HITH participant and a renowned oil painter.

Born in northwest Connecticut, Richardson developed a fascination with birds early on. Nature books and magazines, introduced by his grandmother, fueled this interest. His artistic journey began with oil painting, but shifted to woodworking during his time in carpentry. His foray into bird carving started in the early 2000s, inspired by hummingbirds in a client’s garden.

He attributes the carving of “Island” to his experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The shape of the base suggested a landmass, and it blended with the deep isolation of those days,” Richardson explained. The piece measures 15” wide x 9” deep x 19.75” high, primarily crafted from maple.

Richardson will display his work at Roxanne Eklund’s Studio #31 in Cave Creek. Eklund, a fiber and textile artist, is also a newcomer to the HITH tour.

The HITH artist directory will feature additional artworks on its back cover by diverse artists, including mixed media artists Terry and Marilyn Alexander, oil painter Nancy Pendleton, painter Scott Rispin, jeweler Celest Michelotti, and oil painter Marless Fellows. For further information, visit www.HiddenInTheHills.org.