Under Western Skies

The annual Scottsdale Art Auction was a tour de force of classic and contemporary art of the West.

- STEVE FRIESEN

Travelers in the West soon discover that Montana is not the only state that can lay claim to having "big sky country. The plains of Kansas, the deserts of Arizona, the mountains of Colorado and the varied landscapes of the other states in the American West all provide settings for amazing skies. Visitors from other countries, even other parts of the United States, often comment on the sky-dominated scenery: billowing clouds, thunderstorms, breathtaking sunsets and mountains that seem to touch the heavens. Every year some of the best contemporary and classic Western artwork capturing those skies, and the peoples who dwell under them, can be found at the annual Scottsdale Art Auction. This year was no exception.