Participating Artists

Risa Waldt

Biography / Artist Statement

“A native Tucsonan, I grew up in the Southwest. While riding my horse along the Rillito River, I soaked up a vision that pursued me until I began painting to express it. There are many paintings pursuing me still. Light and color are my loves. In my 50+ years painting, my favorite is Plein Air altho’ I have drawers full of drawings to turn into paintings as my studio work. My main medium is paint on paper, canvas, and walls. I also love pencil, pen, and mixed medium. I have had many one woman shows and have been a part of multiple group gallery shows across the United States and Canada.”

Awards: National League of American Pen Women, Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild, Arizona Watercolor Association.

Exhibits: 
– Women Artists of the West 46th, 47th ,48th Annual shows
– 2017 Spring Showcase RS Hanna Gallery Tx.
– Four Corners Gallery in Tucson Desert Art Museum 2019-2020
– Many Arizona Aqueous Exhibits in Tubac, Az.
– Southwest Art magazine 2022/2023, 2020, 2014, 2016
– ‘Art of Arizona’ section January 2016-2022
– Western Art Collector Magazine ‘State of the Art: Arizona’ 2016-2021
– Canyons and Deserts 2018
– Art of the West’s Guidebook of Art 2017
– American Art Collector Magazine 2015
– Cowgirl Magazine 2015-2016
– True West Magazine Oct. 2015.

Her watercolor of Tucson’s Historic Courthouse was purchased by the Tucson Museum of Art and gifted to the Harmsen’s for donating their substantial western art collection to the city of Tucson. For a multi media event she contributed five large watercolors to ORTS Dance Company, projected as a backdrop for the dancers. She did set design for Catalina Stage Stop Theater.

Past memberships:  Charter member National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC, Associate member National Watercolor Society, Associate Member American Watercolor Society.

Shows: [some in the ‘80s under her past married name Risa Waldt Keenan].

Tucson Museum of Art: Western Federation of Watercolor Societies, D’art for Art, Dinner Ala Art and presented her book from her Grand Canyon River Trip to docents for the Grand Canyon show; Mountain Oyster Club’s Contemporary Western Art Show; Rancho Linda Vista Gallery and National League of American Pen Women’s Washington DC gallery to name a few. Galleries past: Four Corners Gallery-Tucson, Wolf Walker-Sedona Az, The Watercolor Gallery-Laguna Beach CA, Deer Dancer Gallery-Evanston Il, Night Sky Gallery in Santa Fe NM. Murals since 1970’s.