Images Arizona: Carefree/Cave Creek August 2016 Issue

S aguaro splendor

Carefree

Cave Creek

ECRWSS Local Postal Customer

Desert Mountain

AUGUST 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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Contents

PUBLISHER Shelly Spence

EDITOR/CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jenn Korducki Krenn

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Donna Kublin Amanda Christmann Tom Scanlon Monica Longenbaker Rebecca Zaner Stephanie Maher Palenque Paula Theotocatos Peni Long Shannon Severson Nigel Spence Katherine Braden Lara Piu Grace Hill

PHOTOGRAPHERS Bryan Black Loralei Lazurek Keri Meyers Mike Harvey Karen Hamilton Monica Longenbaker Brandon Tigrett

ADVERTISING SALES Loren Sheck

ART DIRECTOR/PUBLISHER’S ASSISTANT Jennifer Satterlee

Images Arizona P.O. Box 1416 Carefree, AZ 85377 623-341-8221 imagesaz.com Submission of news for Community News section should be in to shelly@imagesaz.com by the 10th of the month prior to publication.

Images Arizona is published by ImagesAZ Inc. Copyright © 2016 by ImagesAZ, Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction, in whole or part, without permission is prohibited.

The publisher is not responsible for the return of unsolicited material.

Saguaro Spendor Writer Grace Hill Photographer Bryan Black P. 46

Local First A R I Z O NA 4

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Welcome

I

It’s been a year of exciting changes for Images Arizona. From a new design to new staff members to a brand new publication, our family has grown and evolved in both measurable and immeasurable ways in 2016. Through it all, we’ve remained dedicated to exploring local arts and culture, as well as businesses and members of our community — people making an impact, no matter how big or how small, in their own lives or in the lives of others.

Handmade - Patrick Gibbons P. 36

We are Arizona proud. And I mean that quite literally, as this month we introduce our newest way of celebrating Arizona and the people who make our state great: iamAZproud.com.

Our new website was built to ensure our readers and clients are the first to know about exclusive upcoming events highlighting the cultural and natural aspects of Arizona. Featuring local artists, architects, musicians and other unique talent, these events will be more than your average mixer — they are an unmatched, #iamAZproud experience. Visit iamAZproud.com and sign up for our newsletter to receive special VIP invitations.

Alongside these events created to celebrate our home state, the magazine itself will feature more Arizona-centric photographs and local photographers, such as this month’s photo essay on one of our most treasured desert icons: the saguaro cactus. If you’re a nature enthusiast, we encourage you to submit your favorite shots for a chance to be profiled.

Born to be Wild P. 42

Enjoy!

One Plate at a Time P. 54

Strawberry Champagne Granita P. 65

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Shelly Spence Publisher, Images Arizona magazine shelly@imagesaz.com 623-341-8221

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BUILT

T

TO LAST

Writer Grace Hill Photographer Loralei Lazurek

The Wedge family loves to build. It’s in their blood.

A resident of Arizona for nearly 40 years, Greg Wedge Jr., the patriarch of the family, currently lives in North Scottsdale with his wife, Kathleen. Not too far away from them live their three children: twin sons, Greg III and Josh, and daughter, Sydney.

While the family loves the outdoors and spends that time mountain biking, camping or fishing, it is the indoor spaces they have created that set them apart. The need to create homes first began when the elder Greg was just a young man, and decided to follow a similar path as his father.

“I love building and working with wood,” he says. “When I graduated from high school, I started working with my dad doing basically the same stuff that I do now.”

He never stopped building. For more than 32 years, the elder Greg worked as a framer. But about five years ago, after some restructuring of the company he worked for, he was let go. Instead of going to work for someone else, Greg

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Consign With Us These rare five dollar bills sold for 26 times the estimated price. J. Levine’s top tier bidders, representing over 60 countries, ensure that when you consign with us we provide both an active audience and a convenient turnkey solution for a single item or an entire estate.

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decided to work as an independent general contractor.

He named his new business Wedgeworks Construction Comapny. His love for building and creating was also passed on to his own sons, but not in the way he imagined.

to medical equipment,” says Josh. “I’ve done anything from credit card machines at Target to video game accessories.

You name it, I work on it. Furniture, custom steel work, architectural elements. Keeps me busy.”

The elder Greg laughs as he recalls that moment. “I gave them the opportunity to get out there and frame. They decided to get a college education instead and when they graduated from Arizona State University, they didn’t want to be framers. But they still stayed within this industry, designing and putting things together.”

Although they all specialize in different aspects of design, it does not stop them from working together. In fact, it does quite the opposite. Because of their close relationship with one another and the different skills they bring to the table, they are able to work more closely and more thoroughly on a collaboration.

The younger Greg is more matter-of-fact about their reason for not becoming framers like their father.

“It really varies on the project,” Josh explains about the way they tackle a new assignment. “Depends on what we need to achieve. For example, if we come for a remodel, Greg will draw, I’ll do the steel work like the staircase railings, and then my dad will implement all the designs and put it together.”

“We still enjoyed the aspect of building and creating things with our hands, but not so much the summer heat,” he says.

While they might be different than their father when it comes to working in triple-digit temperatures, they are just as committed to their work. Currently, the younger Greg works as an architect in training at a local architecture firm. Josh, on the other hand, works for himself as a product designer, which is a little different than what his brother and father do.

“I design a wide range of things, from consumer products

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The elder Greg adds, “We all sit down and look at it and then put it together. I give [the younger] Greg my opinion [about the design] and if he doesn’t like it, he says so. It works.”

A Cave Creek home they recently redesigned is a perfect showcase of their collaboration. According to the homeowner who grew up in the home, it was a complete tear down. While the house needed to be gutted, the Wedge

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men felt that the unique red adobe brick exterior had too much character to be torn down. With the help of the younger Greg’s well-thought-out blueprints, the owner acquiesced. And so the walls were the only things left standing after the elder Greg got to work.

Since the elder Greg relies on word-of-mouth for his work, hearing praise from the client is priceless. Client appreciation is important to the Wedges because they do not believe in just building homes; they believe in building relationships.

Josh was also able to add his design expertise to the project. He created a front door made out of reclaimed barn wood. Josh’s special touch created a door within a door — a feature that allows the outside air to flow through the house.

The younger Greg explains that architects are notorious for having egos, so clients are not always the focus.

However, for this family, they are.

Once the project was completed, the owners were able to see the whole vision, including the red adobe bricks. Their trust in the Wedge family paid off.

“The owners love the house,” says the elder Greg. “We went up there last Saturday. Both of the homeowners said, ‘Every day we walk into this house, we love it, we love it, we love it.’ The red adobe brick … the owner loves it; it grew on him.”

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“To hear the customer really appreciate the job we can give him is more important than anything,” says the elder Greg. “It isn’t my self-satisfaction. Yes, I enjoy building it, but it's for the customer.”

For the Wedge family, no matter what they are building — be it homes, relationships with clients or deeper relationships with one another — they are going to do it right. Because in the end, they love to build things that will last.

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COMMUNITY arts // announcements // culture Writer Grace Hill

AUG. 1-5

SUPERHEROES OF THE BIBLE SUMMER CAMP Children entering grades 1-6 will explore superheroes of the Bible with acting, singing, comic book art and much more! $60 per week. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Desert Mission United Methodist Church, 7373 E. Dixileta Dr., 480-595-1814, desertmissionumc.org.

AUG. 6

PHOENIX ZOO’S PROWL AND PLAY Calling all pirates and princesses!

Phoenix Zoo will be taken over by enchanting fairytale princesses and the swashbuckling pirate Jolly Roger for a special meet-andgreet. The fun will continue with musical entertainment, animal encounters, water slides and more. $6, members; $8, general admission; free, children 2 and under. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Pkwy., 602-286-3800, phoenixzoo.org.

AUG. 10, 24 STORY TIME FOR TOTS

Two favorites collide for kids at Butterfly Wonderland: butterflies and story time. Children between the ages of 2 and 5 are invited to hear a special story read to them. Certified massage therapist Laurie Schaefer will also lead a pediatric massage instructional at the event. Free with admission. 1011 a.m. Butterfly Wonderland, 9500 E. Via de Ventura, 480-800-3000, butterflywonderland.com.

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AUG. 25-28

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE BIRTHDAY Happy birthday to the National Park Service! 2016 marks the agency’s 100th birthday, and what better way to celebrate than to visit a national park. More than 400 national parks will offer free admission, which includes entrance fees, commercial tour fees and transportation entrance fees. Check website for details. nps.gov.

AUG. 14

PHOENIX ART MUSEUM’S FREE 2ND SUNDAY Discount Tire and the Phoenix Art Museum offer the public free admission for the whole family on the second Sunday of the month. Included in the visit are activities, scavenger hunts, live performances, story time, free tours and more. Free. 12-5 p.m.

Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave., 602-257-1880, phxart.org.

AUG. 25

LEGO BUILDER'S CLUB Children ages 4 and up will be excited to show off their skills at Desert Foothills Library’s monthly building club. To include both young and old builders, the library makes available both chunky and regular building blocks.

Call to register. Free. 4-5 p.m.

Desert Foothills Library, 38443 N. Schoolhouse Rd., 480-488-2286, desertfoothillslibrary.org.

AUG. 26-27

3RD ANNUAL SEDONA BIKE AND BREW FESTIVAL Bicyclists will have the opportunity to participate in a truly unique experience: racing on a golf course. The six-mile track will take riders over all 18 holes, 400 feet of elevation change, 90 acres of fairways, tee boxes, cart paths and natural and manmade features. After the race, the festival continues with an awards ceremony, music, food, cold beer and a raffle. Check website for details. sedonagolfresort.com/race.

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AUG. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 LOCAL JONNY’S DRINK AND DRAW

Unwind after a long day of work by attending Local Jonny’s Drink and Draw each Wednesday evening of the month. There you will experience what is all the rage right now: adult coloring! The restaurant will also include live music, coloring supplies (or you can bring your own) and halfpriced flatbreads. 6-8 p.m. Local Jonny’s, 6033 E. Cave Creek Rd., 480-488-7473, localjonnys.com.

AUG. 19

ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER’S SCIENCE WITH A TWIST It’s back to school time with a twist! Adults, 21 and older, are invited to a nighttime event at the Arizona Science Center. The theme for the night is “Coffee Chemistry” and will include a cash bar, music, live science demonstrations, hands-on activities, discounted tickets into the featured exhibition and more. Check website for prices.

6-10 p.m. Arizona Science Center, 600 E. Washington St., 602-716-2000, azscience.org.

AUG. 6

LUNCH AND LEARN AT SANCTUARY ON CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN Celebrity chef Jeff Mauro, host of Food Network’s “Sandwich King” and “The Kitchen,” will participate in a cooking demonstration with Sanctuary’s executive chef, Beau MacMillan. Attendees will enjoy a three-course meal with wine, Q-and-A and take-home recipes. Reservations required. $125 per person (plus tax and gratuity). Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, 5700 E. McDonald Dr., 480-948-2100, sanctuaryoncamelback.com.

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AUG. 5, 12, 19, 26 FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT NIGHT LIGHTS TOUR

Enjoy Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West in a spectacular way. Located in the McDowell Mountains outside of Scottsdale, Wright’s winter home is open for evening tours each Friday of the month and is a perfect option for a one-of-a-kind date night.

Reservations required. Taliesin West, 12621 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., 480-627-5375, franklloydwright.org.

AUG. 20

VERDE CANYON RAILROAD’S STARLIGHT TOURS A romantic night awaits you on the Verde Canyon Railroad!

This Saturday Night Starlight Ride will showcase the Verde Canyon in a truly breathtaking way, as it comes alive under the luminous glow of moonkissed skies. Check website for prices. 5:30 p.m. 800-582-7245, verdecanyonrr.com.

*Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West at night. Photo by Andrew Pielage

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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

2016 STATE JUNIOR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS This year’s State Junior Golf Championship took place at Talking Rock Golf Club in Prescott on June 28 and 29.

First place winners, Trueman Park and Ashley Menne, were among the 60 boys and 30 girls competing in the 36hole tournament. Trueman, a 17-year-old from Chandler, won the boys’ division with a 67-72 - 139, 5-under-par performance.

Ashley, a 14-year-old from Surprise, won the girls’ division with a 73-70 - 143 (1-underpar). Congratulations to both Trueman and Ashley for their excellent playing!

NVSO ADULT ORCHESTRA AUDITIONS Auditions will be held all month long for the North Valley Symphony Orchestra’s 2016-17 season. NVSO’s adult orchestra is a community-based, 75-plus member group and includes the bassoon, horn and all strings. Rehearsal times, location, audition instructions and excerpts can be found on the website.

To schedule an audition, please call 623-980-4628. For more information, visit northvalleysymphony.org.

PROMUSICA ARIZONA CHORALE AND ORCHESTRA AUDITIONS ProMusica Arizona, a leader in chorale and orchestra performances since 2003, has announced two audition dates for August. To audition for the chorale, the vocalist should be experienced in choral singing and also have the ability to read music. A one-minute song also needs to be prepared. To audition for the orchestra, instrumentalists need to have an intermediate or advanced skill level and be ready to perform a one-minute prepared piece. For more information, visit pmaz.org.

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NDP HIRES NEW SWIM COACH Congratulations to Craig Robertson, Notre Dame Preparatory’s new girls’ and boys’ varsity swim coach. Robertson, a graduate from San Jose State University, is a four-time All-American in water polo and swimming and was on the 1980 United States swim team. He also brings to NDP more than 25 years of coaching experience in swimming and water polo.

For more information, visit ndpsaints.org.

NDP TO HOST ROSARY RALLY On August 6, Notre Dame Preparatory will host the second annual SportsLeader Rosary Rally. This rally will bring together football teams from different prestigious Valley high schools, including NDP, Bourgade Catholic High School, Brophy College Preparatory, St. Mary’s High School and Seton Catholic High School.

Led by NDP’s chaplain, the Rev. John Parks, the teams will recite the rosary and dedicate the upcoming season to God. For more information, visit ndpsaints.org.

CALL FOR LOCAL ARTISTS The Anthem Community Council and Sonoran Arts League’s “Art in Public Places” exhibit will showcase submitted art pieces at the Anthem Civic Building from October 1, 2016 through January 27, 2017. Interested artists can submit pieces online through the Sonoran Arts League website beginning August 1.

Participating artists will need to adhere to certain criteria, such as submitting only original pieces, being 18 years of age or older, being located in Anthem or any part of the North Valley and paying a $25 non-refundable entry fee. To find out other criteria and more information about the submission process, visit sonoranartsleague.org.

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AUG. 5

JAY LENO AT TALKING STICK RESORT Get ready to roll with laughter as one of the most recognizable figures in the world of comedy, Jay Leno, returns to the Valley to entertain with his impressive comedic skills made famous on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” $65-$225. 8 p.m.

Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Indian Bend Rd., 480-850-7734, talkingstickresort.com.

AUG. 12, 13

FOUR PHANTOMS AT TALKING STICK RESORT A celebration of Broadway comes to Talking Stick Resort.

This event features Brent Barrett, Franc D’Ambrosio, Davis Gaines and Marcus Lovett, all of whom have had the privilege of playing one of the most iconic characters on stage: Phantom from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous musical, “The Phantom of the Opera.” $50-$200. 8 p.m. Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Indian Bend Rd., 480-850-7734, talkingstickresort.com.

AUG. 29

8TH ANNUAL FITZ’S SUPPER CLUB Enjoy a night filled with celebrity servers, delicious food and stand-up comedy at the eighth annual Fitz’s Supper Club. The event will also include fundraising for Larry Fitzgerald’s First Down Fund, a fund dedicated to helping kids and their families across the country. Check website for event details.

Dominick’s Steakhouse, 15169 N. Scottsdale Rd., larryfitzgerald.com.

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HOT

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AUG. 16, 17

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Grammy Award-winning singer Adele brings her musical genius to Talking Stick Resort Arena.

The Adele Live 2016 tour will feature songs from her new album, “25.” Of course, old fan favorites will also be included in one of this year’s most entertaining and talked about concerts. $34.75-$144.75 7:30

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p.m. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., 480-8507734, talkingstickresort.com.

AUG. 23

COLDPLAY AT GILA RIVER ARENA Coldplay, the successful British rock band best known for songs like “Paradise,” “The Scientist,” and “Yellow,” bring their A Head Full of Dreams Tour to Glendale.

Special guests of the tour include two singers/songwriters, Alessia Cara and Bishop Briggs. $23-$173. 7 p.m. Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., 800-745-3000, gilariverarena.com.

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Jewish Heritage Center, 122 E. Culver St., 602-402-4551, redrocksmusicfestival.com.

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S aguaro splendor Writer Grace Hill Opening Photo AimĂŠe Madsen

A

Amidst the sprawling Sonoran Desert, the saguaro cactus makes its exclusive home. It is here, and only here, that the largest and perhaps most treasured cactus in the United States finds living conditions required for its survival: a hot, dry climate located between sea level and 4,000 feet in elevation. The summer monsoon season is also vitally important, as it supplies the rainfall that hydrates the saguaro all year long.

The saguaro’s scientific name is Carnegiea gigantea. It is not a coincidence that the name Carnegiea sounds similar to the last name of the famous philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

It was given in honor of Carnegie for his generous support in the research of desert plants.

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The quintessential saguaro is often depicted as having two arms growing upward out of its trunk. While an accurate portrayal for some, this form is not considered the standard.

In fact, it is possible for a saguaro to produce as many as 50 arms. Those arms do not always grow upward; if exposed to extreme frost, freezing temperatures or too much irrigation, the arms can droop.

While most saguaros produce a rounded head, some deviate from this norm, instead growing a fan-like form on the top of the trunk. Because of this rare formation, it is dubbed the cristate, or crested saguaro.

Scientists have yet to uncover the exact cause of this anomaly.

Professional experience: Aimée Madsen has

natural world gives me a clearer attachment

more than 20 years of experience shooting

to the complex beauty and yet the simplicity

stills for magazine and book publications,

of the Earth.”

some of which include: Native Peoples, Arizona Highways, Sunset, Outdoor

Your best nature photo: “I think the most

Photographer, New Mexico Magazine,

rewarding photos I’ve captured are of natural

Phoenix Magazine, Splash, Nip and

occurrences that don’t often take place, such

Transitions Abroad.

as a double rainbow, lightning and wildlife up close. Something that takes patience,

Aimée Madsen Hometown: Cheyenne, Wyoming Current: Cave Creek www.eyeamfilms.com www.paolosoleribeyondform.com

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Photography niche: photojournalism, the

devotion, hard work and putting yourself

natural world and indigenous cultures.

in a place where anything is possible, by running into the storm rather than running

Inspiration for taking nature photos: “I feel

away from it.”

most comfortable outdoors — always have since I was very young, especially in the

Best tip for nature photography: “Never put

undeveloped wilderness. Photographing the

your camera away too soon.”

Although saguaros engulf the desert landscape, the road to becoming a saguaro is not an easy journey. It is believed that out of a saguaro’s 40 million seeds, only one may survive to adulthood. This low survival rate is a result of many circumstances, including droughts, excessive freezing and being a food source for animals. However, if a saguaro does survive, it is thought that it can live between 150 and 200 years.

When a young saguaro is fortunate enough to take root under a tree, its chances of survival increase. This nurse tree, most often a palo verde, ironwood or mesquite, provides much needed protection from the harsh desert elements. Unfortunately for the nurse tree, as the saguaro grows, it absorbs all the nutrients and water from the surrounding soil, which can ultimately kill its protector.

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Bryan Black Hometown: Dromore, Northern Ireland Current: Cave Creek

Professional experience: Bryan spent six years working in portrait studios — two in Phoenix, followed by four years in Cancún, Mexico — before joining the Images Arizona team, where he has now worked for four years. In addition to his work for the magazine, Bryan shoots weddings, products and advertisements, as well as portrait sessions.

Photography niche: portraiture, environmental and studio.

Inspiration for taking nature photos: “Inspiration for nature and landscape photography is essentially the love of traveling. Old masters like Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. Kevin Whitley is another inspiration for his commitment to finding the right location, and his images are jawdropping.”

Your best nature photo: “A view of mesquite sand dunes in Death Valley, taken at sunset on a trip back from San Francisco. I decided to go through Yosemite and Death Valley instead of the quicker highway route.”

Best tip for nature photography: “Best tip: patience. Thinking more before taking the shot. Knowing what it is you want to capture, and understanding the camera and settings to achieve it.”

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From seed to adulthood, the growth of a saguaro is extremely slow: a 10-year-old Saguaro reaches a height of approximately two inches. Although the saguaro is on the short side during its youth, by adulthood — roughly 125 years of age — a saguaro’s height can be measured anywhere from 40 to 60 feet tall.

During the rainy season, a saguaro will expand its body to absorb as much water as possible. Because of this, it is possible for a saguaro to weigh an unbelievable 3,200 to 4,800 pounds. To put that into perspective, one cactus can weigh about the same size as a small adult elephant.

For many birds, the saguaro has become the perfect place to raise a family.

Burrows in the trunk will house nests made for baby gilded flickers, Gila woodpeckers, owls, sparrows and others.

Since larger birds might be too large for a burrow, the arms of a saguaro are the next best thing for their nests.

The saguaro’s creamy white flowers (Arizona’s state flower) are situated at the ends of its trunk and arms. Every year, from April through June, the flowers bloom and reveal an orange center ready for pollination. A few flowers open each night, only to close again by the next afternoon. Bats — especially because they are nocturnal — bees, butterflies and white-winged doves are some common pollinators of the saguaro.

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Once fertilization of the flower occurs, a green fruit will begin to grow. Inside this fruit is a sweet, red center that is a food source for many animals, such as woodpeckers, finches, bats, javelinas and coyotes. Some of the fruit’s seeds will pass unharmed through the animal and, once secreted, will begin the process of growing into another saguaro.

Native Americans have a special relationship with the saguaro.

They have used the cacti’s woody ribs for shade ramadas, fences, furniture and more. The saguaro boot, a hardened shell of a dead saguaro’s burrow, has been used to store and carry water. The Tohono O’odham tribe in Southern Arizona makes wine, jams and jellies from the saguaro’s fruit for the Nawait l’i, a rain ceremony for the coming monsoon season.

Though they have become an icon of the American West, you will only find the saguaro in Southern Arizona and Western Sonora, Mexico — although a few strays may also be found in Southeast California. They are a shining emblem of the Southwest, right in our own backyard.

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Judy McCord Hometown: Greenbelt, Maryland Current: Paradise Valley judymccord.com Professional experience: Judy has been photographing for more than 10 years. Her work has been featured in various media outlets, including Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Foundation, 12 News Arizona, The Arizona Republic, Saguaro National Park, Joshua Tree National Park and Grand Canyon National Geographic Visitor Center.

Photography niche: “Landscape is my favorite, but I enjoy photographing just about everything!”

Inspiration for taking nature photos: “I am in awe of the beauty that surrounds us here in Arizona. I tend to chase the sun and the moon on a regular basis!”

Your best nature photo: “That’s a tough question; I love so many for different reasons. Perhaps a photo I took in Monument Valley of ‘The Mittens’ reflecting in a puddle of water while on a photography tour with a Navajo guide.

Best tip for nature photography: “Visit a National Park! We are fortunate to have one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World so close, the Grand Canyon. Saguaro National Park is another beauty!”

Join in!

If you love Sonoran scenes as much as we do and have an image you'd like to share, send it to images@imagesaz.com! Your work may be featured in an upcoming issue of Images Arizona magazine!

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Madison Pascale

I

FIRST SALUTE

“It is more blessed to give than to receive,” the New Testament advises.

Things are just a little different in the military.

In the armed forces, giving a salute is a sign of deference and obedience to a superior; receiving a salute means, well, that you’re the man — or the woman.

Madison Pascale understands the difference firsthand.

Four years ago, she graduated from Cactus Shadows High School, where she was a star soccer player and excellent student. Rather than pursuing athletics and studying at a college or university, she went to an academy — the U.S. Naval Academy, an intensive fouryear military preparatory in Annapolis, Maryland.

The school was far from her elegant, cozy North Scottsdale home, where she was raised by her parents,

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Writer Tom Scanlon

Christina and Nino Pascale. While many of Madison’s classmates stayed close to home, enrolling at Arizona State University, Christina and Nino knew there was no point in trying to talk their strong-minded — an understatement — daughter out of going into the Navy.

“I always encouraged both my kids to follow their dreams, whatever they wanted to do,” says Christina, whose father was a Navy lieutenant commander during World War II. Nino also approved of Madison’s Annapolis plans.

“Service academies are very elite,” he says. “It was a high bar, and it was cool she was interested in that.”

Even so, they admit to having some moments of asking, “What are they doing to our daughter?!”

A month after leaving the chill campus of Cactus

Shadows, Madison became just another nameless plebe, as incoming freshman are called by elder classmates at the academy.

Plebes are sharply rebuked for the way they talk, the way they walk and the way they salute and address superiors.

The first day of her plebe summer, Madison recalls, “I was issued about 500 pounds of gear, and had to carry it up to my room on the sixth floor. It was hot, I was sweaty — and I was brought into a room to sign an oath. A gunnery sergeant was running it. She’s kind of yelling at you and short with you, ‘Do you understand?!’ I said, ‘Yes ma’am.’

She said, ‘I’m not a ma’am!’ I didn’t understand it — getting used to the whole military life.”

“

We’d hear her voice cracking at the end of the call...

”

Like other newbies, she spent her early days in the military firing off salutes in every direction.

Plebes were kept busy from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m.

“You’re following someone the whole day, you’re running in the hallways — always running,” she says. As an athlete, she could handle the physical demands. The indoctrination into military life AUGUST 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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and the mental grind was another thing. It took awhile for Madison to realize she couldn’t just do her individual duties; she had to help weaker team members, or the harsh criticism of upper classmen would fall not just on the weak link, but on her, as well.

That long summer, Madison and the other plebes were permitted one brief phone call home per week. Her parents will long remember those phone calls from their normally strong, confident daughter.

“We’d hear her voice cracking at the end of the call,” her mother recalls.

Finally, near the end of that brutal plebe summer, parents were invited for a visit. Nino pulled his daughter aside and, ready to put her on a plane home if she said the word, asked, “Do you want to be here?”

Her answer: “Of course I want to be here!”

“There were days,” she recalls, four years later, “when it sucked and I felt defeated. But I never wanted to go home.”

She soon would learn that plebe summer was a light schedule compared with what was to come. Madison was a political science major with a minor in French. Yet the Naval Academy was intent on cramming as much knowledge into her brain in four years as possible. No matter their majors, she and her classmates had to take rigorous science, math and engineering courses. That meant the likes of thermodynamics and weapons systems engineering.

Though she wasn’t crazy about math and science, Madison buckled down and tapped into the extra help the academy makes readily available.

After taking everything the United States Naval Academy tossed at her for four long years, she graduated at the end of May. Her mother is most proud of how hard she’s worked to get where she is.

It wasn’t just about achieving the minimum standard, her father adds.

“She took on leadership roles; that’s what I’m proud of,” he says.

In her sophomore year, Madison volunteered to be a training corporal, and by junior year was a training sergeant.

“I was the mean person to all the plebes,” she says with a smile. Then she became a company commander and battalion executive officer, “the bad cop enforcer.”

At the May 26 ceremony, she not only graduated, but also became an officer: U.S. Navy Ensign Madison Ann Pascale.

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DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOUR LIGHTING SYSTEM! She was home in North Scottsdale in June — but just for a month, before reporting to her assignment in Pensacola, Florida, where she will train to be a Navy pilot. Though she is bound to receive many more salutes over her career, she will always remember the first, at the graduation ceremony.

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“My first salute was done by midshipman Holly Sandler, class of 2017,” Madison says, breaking into a smile. “It felt great.”

It’s been quite a four years for the new ensign. She spent time on a submarine, shadowed a helicopter crew, interned at NATO, was on the USS Cole and studied in France.

With these post-Cactus Shadows experiences, she had no regrets about bypassing a college athletics career.

“Once you’re done with college soccer, that’s it,” she says, noting the few professional opportunities available. “Once you’re done with the Naval Academy, it’s just starting.”

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And, her mother adds, “You have a job.”

Nino is a mortgage banker, and son, Joe, 27, followed him into that business. Christina works with both, doing database management.

Madison was looking for something a little more exciting than office work, and she has found it.

“I’ll be living on the beach in Pensacola and flying planes,” she says, picturing her life as an officer.

“It’s pretty fun.”

Thinking of the challenges Madison Pascale has faced and met, her style of leadership on the fly and her plans to serve, there’s only one thing to do … salute.

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Handmade

PATRICK GIBBONS

Writer Lara Piu Photographer Bryan Black

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Whether it seems like yesterday or decades ago, in 2008 you were likely affected by the housing collapse and economic recession. For North Scottsdale resident Patrick Gibbons, it marked the end of a flourishing business and successful career in land development, but it was also a chance to shake things up.

“I thought, here’s an opportunity to do something different with my life,” Patrick recalls. “So I asked myself, ‘What would you do tomorrow if you could do anything?’”

The answer came quick and easy: golf. Patrick was not on track to be a professional golfer, but he had an appreciation for high-quality golf accessories, thanks to his grandfather. In fact, at the end of his life, Patrick asked his grandfather to leave him one thing: his golf bag.

“It was an old bag that he had for decades, but I liked that it was made in the U.S., and that it had a quality that had nothing to do with today’s disposable society,” he says.

Starting with putters, Patrick began handcrafting made-to-order leather putter grips from his DC Ranch garage. Then the requests for matching head covers came in and from there, his online store grew into what is now a line of 45 ball markers, cash covers and other golf and fashion apparel and accessories — including 18 types of golf, business and hand painted belts that come in a variety of high-quality leathers, stitches, colors, widths, lengths and other options. The belts, which emerged as his most popular item, are custom ordered and handmade in the United States by eight artisans. The putter grips are still crafted by Patrick.

“I don’t think that there’s a lot of quality products made in the U.S., and jobs are disappearing as a result,” adds Patrick, who tells us he strives to make the products last.

It comes at a price, he’ll admit, but he explains that like his grandfather’s golf bag, he wants everything to have the quality of a golf heirloom.

“This is something that could be handed down or displayed on a shelf,” says Patrick. “Good leathers don’t wear out, they wear in. My items have a quality that you can’t find at a big box store.”

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His grandfather’s bag is also a reminder of the lessons that came with it.

“We would go out to the course or jump the fence and play the same three holes on the course in his backyard in Bay City, Michigan,” Patrick reminisces.

His grandfather would cut clubs down to kid sizes and cap the new ends off with duct tape.

“In golf, like in life, there are no teammates. If I play well, it’s me; if I don’t play well, it’s me. I learned how to gauge when it is OK to go out on a limb, and when it is better to hold back. My grandfather’s golf lessons were really about life.”

When Patrick started his new business, this wisdom came into play.

“There was a lot of quitting and starting and quitting and starting in the beginning,” he says.

With time and personal growth, Patrick sunk his teeth into his new venture.

Persistence and stubbornness, he advises, made the difference. Today, every belt is stamped with his mantra, “Aut inveniam viam aut faciam,” which translates to, “I shall either find a way or make one.”

Patrick has a strong following to show for his hard work. There’s even a group of Patrick Gibbons Handmade addicts, customers who order belts weekly — often even before their last order has arrived. Some have their own mantra stamped on the inside.

“They enjoy seeing what they can come up with,” says Patrick. “They like to see what’s next.”

Although he won’t name names, his customers include hundreds of PGA, LPGA, Web.com, Symetra and Cactus Tour professionals.

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“It is absolutely my vision coming true, being part of the golf community,” says Patrick. “Sometimes I am traveling to California to play a round of golf with a tournament organizer to brainstorm gifts for his next event, and some days I am in a PGA locker room taking an order from a golf player.”

In 2014, Patrick decided to help others by dedicating a percentage of sales to Helping Hands, a charitable arm that has donated money to charities such as Hope Kids, Gracious Gifts and, most recently, toward an education for his best friend’s daughter, who lost her father in March. Now the original vision expands further.

Patrick also enjoys seeing the hard work of young golfers as they strive to emerge.

“If someone told me that I was going to start a high-end leather company in one of the worst economies in our history, I would never have done it,” he says. “Now it’s all part of the vision: to be around the game, play it and make a living doing it.”

“They’re being persistent and stubborn, and they’re not quitting,” he says. “Some shoot to the top, but the ones I relate to are the ones that know what they want and they don’t give up. They’re finding a way.”

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Wild BORN TO BE

Writer Amanda Christmann Painter Marless Fellows

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In the searing heat of summer, brittlebush and cholla take long pauses, scorched and tested by unforgiving rays of the desert sun. Whiptail and earless lizards scurry from the sparse shade of one parched palo verde to the next, and families of Harris’s hawks perch tiredly atop the spiny tops of saguaros.

Desert cicadas break the silence, their rattling screams seeming to come from the mesquites and prickly pear cacti themselves. The swish of a tail, barely visible from behind a crop of mesquites, shatters the stillness, followed by an unmistakable snort.

A sturdy white stallion rises like a mirage out of the waves of heat that dance above the desert floor. Alert, he glances sideways from a dark eye, one ear perked high as he listens to the sound of approaching visitors.

Only mildly cautious — for he has seen many visitors in recent years — he steps toward a striking chestnut mare with white socks and a white blaze, softly snorting to prompt her to move on. She looks toward him with gentleness with a blue eye the color of the desert sky, then steps forward.

From behind the trees, a colt with the same dark eyes as his white father, but with the color and beauty of his mother, emerges and playfully prances toward his mother.

His father snorts again, this time with a hint of admonishment, and his son falls in line. The stallion protectively follows behind him as his mare takes the lead.

These are three of the Salt River wild horses. By most accounts, they are the AUGUST 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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descendants of horses brought to the New World by Spanish explorers between 1519 and 1600.

In the 1800s, millions of wild horses dotted the Western plains, but today many of those horses have gone the way of the buffalo; government-sanctioned slaughter of these beautiful creatures started in the 1850s and carried on for more than 100 years, leaving just a fraction of their bands intact. By the time Congress passed the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act in 1971 to protect some of them, only about 30,000 wild horses were left in just 10 states.

The numbers are only estimates because, somewhat ironically, there is more available research on zebras in Africa than there is on wild horses in the United States.

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In Arizona, fewer than 500 wild horses are believed to be roaming public land. Some are thought to be the legacy of hundreds of years of free-roaming horses; others were likely let loose by landowners due to wildfires, economic hardship or other reasons.

Of those, about 100 are the beloved Salt River wild horses, which live in the Tonto National Forest along the Salt River, near the Beeline Highway.

Despite the fact that these wild horses have been domesticated and used for everything from plowing fields to carrying soldiers on American battlefields, modern land managers considered them a nuisance — until recently.

Many of them have resided on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service, yet there has been no designation for protection of wild horses in Arizona. Some ended up in traffic, startling motorists, or worse, struck by vehicles.

Others injured themselves on aging barbed wire fences, long abandoned by homesteaders and ranchers of days gone by.

Because of this, the Forest Service had dubbed them “stray livestock,” and focused on protecting the land and the public, but not the iconic wild horses.

At the time, the Forest Service responded with one of its only options: to round up the horses and sell them to the highest bidder. In most cases, those bidders were “kill buyers,” corporate buyers who took the horses to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. Many, including mothers and AUGUST 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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“

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These horses are freedom, unencumbered.

”

their babies, died in the process or in transit. Others were butchered for meat, which was (and in some cases, still is) sold to Europeans.

In July 2015, the Forest Service announced that, once again, it would be conducting a helicopter roundup of the Salt River wild horses. This time, though, the horses had a strong ally in grassroots volunteer advocates, the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group (SRWHMG), led by group president Simone Netherlands. Netherlands established the nonprofit organization to monitor, study and preserve these national treasures.

Upon learning about the imminent annihilation of the Salt River wild horses, SRWHMG volunteers began contacting their friends, family and everyone else they could think of to let them know what was happening in their own backyard.

They called their representatives. They wrote letters. They rallied the press.

Before long, thousands of supporters rallied for the horses.

Some of them, like Barbie Baugh, had witnessed the unmatched grandeur of the horses in the wild before learning of their plight.

Baugh’s first encounter with the horses was a chance meeting on Easter Sunday three years ago. As she hiked through the desert, she was startled to see a white stallion standing amidst a crop of spring blooms beneath a mesquite tree. Like many other people who see these horses in the wild, it took her breath away.

“It was the beauty and the serenity,” the retired event planner attempts to explain, although she is among the few who understand that words fall short of capturing the majesty or the connection that these horses have with nature and with each other.

“These horses are freedom, unencumbered.”

She began photographing the horses, and has captured awe-inspiring photos of not only the white stallion and his harem of mares, but also dozens of Salt River wild horses in recent years.

Once Baugh and others found out that the horses were to be destroyed, they responded with a passionate and resounding, “No!” “It was truly a collaborative effort on the part of our community and of people from around the world,” Baugh says. “Everyone bombarded the U.S. Forest Service with calls, AUGUST 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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Experience Salt River Wild Horse Management Group & Saddle Up Gallery 6140 E. Cave Creek Rd. August 26 and October 14 6-7:30 p.m., limited seating tickets are $10 and available by phone or at the gallery. saddleupgallery.com

letters, faxes — anything they could do. There was a wave of protests coming in because everyone wanted the horses saved.”

Netherlands, who has been following and documenting birth rates and death rates, migrating patterns and herd dynamics, as well as environmental circumstances of Salt River bands of horses for two decades, led SRWHMG in filing a lawsuit against the Forest Service. Her message, and that of the growing legion of volunteers who shared her love and concern for the herd, was heard loud and clear.

On May 11, 2016, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed HB 2340, a bill drafted to protect the Salt River wild horses. The bill clarifies that wild horses are not stray livestock, and it paves the way for future provisions that, hopefully, will protect not only the Salt River wild horses, but also wild horses throughout the state.

Baugh joined advocates from SRWHMG and from throughout the state in celebrating the victory in downtown Phoenix, steps outside of the capitol building — on horseback, of course.

“It’s a wonderful and inspiring experience to see what the community can do when we step together and do it,” Baugh says with a smile.

Even though the group has won the battle, the war continues. Wild horses throughout Arizona and other states remain threatened by harsh policies and lack of humane management. Advocates have discovered that it is not that the public does not care; it is that they don’t know about the horses, or about the fate so many of these beautiful creatures are subjected to.

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SRWHMG volunteers continue to work tirelessly to remove garbage, nails and old barbed wire from the horses’ desert habitat.

They also mend fencing to keep the horses away from roadways and are working with the Maricopa County Department of Transportation to create more signage and alerts for motorists to warn them of horses in the area. They are now working with the Forest Service to find cost-effective, safe and humane ways to compassionately preserve the herds and their environment.

As for Baugh, she continues to advocate for the horses, even when she isn’t trying to do so. A few months ago, she struck up a conversation about the horses with Saddle Up Gallery owner and renowned Southwest artist Marless Fellows, who is also passionate about horses. Baugh gave Fellows permission to paint some of her photographs, and the rest, as they say, is history.

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The two rallied the art community to plan two events to raise funds and awareness for the important work SRWHMG is doing.

On the evenings of August 26 and October 14, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Saddle Up Gallery will host stories, told by Baugh, and art to benefit the group. Marless is using photos taken by Barbara Baugh, Tammy Richey and Lori Walker, to name a few, to paint and share the everyday beauty of these horses.

Tickets are $10 and availiable by phone or at the gallery. Seating is limited. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Saddle Up Gallery, located at 6140 E. Cave Creek Rd. It is their hope, and the hope of all of those touched by the simple strength of the wild horses, that once people know better, they will do better.

“We’ve got to keep this going,” Fellows says. “It’s not done yet.” saltriverwildhorsemanagementgroup.org saddleupgallery.com

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Baroque Beauty THE ORPHEUM THEATRE Writer Paula Theotocatos

Writer Paula Theotocatos Photography Fred Urlich Photography

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The year was 1929. The madcap era of the Roaring ‘20s was over and the country plunged into the Great Depression with the Wall Street stock market crash. The first Academy Awards ceremony was held in Los Angeles and the Museum of Modern Art opened in New York.

Across the country in Phoenix, another prestigious opening for the benefit of the arts occurred that year: the beautiful Orpheum Theatre.

The Orpheum has a rich history and Anthem resident Fay Giordano, who is a docent at the theater, will be glad to tell you all about it. Fay first became a docent in 1994 when the theater was in the middle of its 12-year renovation.

“We did hard hat tours of the empty theater, telling its history and the plans for its future,” Fay explains.

“It reopened in January of 1997 after a $14.5 million restoration.”

Fay has had an interesting history of her own.

“Although I was born in Duluth, I was raised on a farm near the small town of Upsala in Central Minnesota, exactly where Garrison Keillor placed his fictitious town, Lake Wobegon,” she says. She completed an around-the-world tour when she was only 22 via the Trans-Siberian Railway and Eurail Pass, followed by a job on Park Avenue in New York City.

She met her husband, Frank, at the tender age of 19, while she was teaching English as a second language as a Peace Corps volunteer on the Northern Mariana Island of Rota. Frank was a Seabee assigned AUGUST 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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to build the school library where Fay was also the librarian.

After they were married, they moved to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, and enjoyed what Fay refers to as “our 4.5-year honeymoon.” After their island sojourn, they moved to the San Francisco Bay area for several years and then on to Phoenix in 1993. The peripatetic couple moved again after retirement to Lake Tahoe for a few years, but were drawn back to Phoenix.

They moved to Anthem in 2004 and Fay resumed her docent duties at the now-completed Orpheum Theatre.

“After going to a performance at the Orpheum, I knew I had to go back to being a docent there,” Fay says. “It’s just such a beautiful, interesting historic building.

“We do public tours every other Tuesday and private tours by arrangement. I’ve shared the story of the Orpheum with at least eight private tour groups from Anthem.”

After the Orpheum was opened in 1929, it became the venue for vaudeville acts for the next 20 years. After vaudeville died, the theater became a movie house, the Paramount, for about 20 years more, and then the well-known theater impresario, James Nederlander, took it over. It became known as Palace West and was the home to touring Broadway productions. Finally, it was rented by a local family, the Coronas, who showed Spanish language films, boxing matches and talent shows.

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The theater then fell into disarray and was to be torn down when the Junior League stepped up in 1985 to ensure the preservation of the historic building. The women of the League held fundraisers and saw that it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. After an ambitious 12-year restoration project, the Orpheum reopened in January 1997 with a performance by Carol Channing in “Hello Dolly.”

The design of the building was meant to be atmospheric, suggesting an outdoor mission house garden. It is a blend of Spanish, Italian and Rococo architecture. Over the years, the lobby’s murals and moldings had been painted over and its beauty marred significantly. In order to restore it to its former glory, architectural detectives removed the top layer of paint where they could and worked with old photographs to discover what lay beneath the paint.

Highlights of the tour include: • The ceiling in the theater’s main hall, which is meant to represent the sky. During the daytime, it displays a blue sky and clouds and then turns mauve as the sky darkens to twilight. Finally, the ceiling turns dark blue with stars scattered over its surface, signaling the performance is about to begin.

• The 1,062 new seats on the first level of the theater and 302 original seats in the balcony.

• The Kissing Room, where you can hear a perfect echo of your voice as you stand in the center of the room. “Performers have been known to practice there,” Fay shares, “and marriage proposals have been made there!”

• The Peacock and Phoenix stairways, along with many artworks referencing ancient Greek theater.

“The elliptical Peacock Stairway is probably the most beautiful place in the theater,” Fay says. “Looking up from the lower level, there are several elegant peacocks on the ceiling and under the stairway, done in aluminum leaf with beautifully colored glazing.”

• The ladies’ room, not only for its elegance but also for the fact that it is twice as large as the men’s room.

“It affords a much quicker visit than the ladies’ room of most venues,” Fay explains. “The ladies love it and even the men usually say ‘wow’ when they are invited to enter.”

I asked Fay if there were any ghosts in this historic structure.

“Although I’ve never had any experiences myself, there are so many stories that we recently began giving Ghost Tours as a fundraiser for the theater,” Fay shares.

The Orpheum Theatre is a fascinating glimpse into history.

In addition to the free public tours every other Tuesday and the private tours by appointment, look for a Ghost Tour around Halloween this coming October. Also in October this year, a silent movie from the 1920s will be shown on the 23rd, accompanied by music on the 1929 Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ.

Starting in September, free concerts will be offered in front of the fireplace by a small group of musicians approximately every other Tuesday, along with complimentary appetizers and a full, no-host bar. As an extra attraction, the docents will also conduct short tours during intermission. Call the Phoenix Convention Center to verify dates.

And don’t leave without stopping by the Friends of the Orpheum Theatre gift counter in the lobby, from which any profits support the theater.

877-840-0457 phoenixconventioncenter.com/orpheum-theatre AUGUST 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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One Plate at a Time CHRISTIANE BARBATO

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I follow Christiane Barbato across her backyard and into a small white hut. Inside, dozens of unglazed clay pots and bowls rest upside-down on shelves, waiting. It’s bright and dusty, and the air smells earthy, like dirt and sunshine. A long table stands in the middle. Christiane turns to me, smiling.

“This is my studio,” she says.

For Christiane, it all officially started a few years ago.

Unhappy with the plates she had at home, she decided to make her own. She’d been making pottery since high school, but it had always been a hobby. Once friends saw her homemade plates, however, they asked if they could order some for themselves.

With a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business, Christiane sensed an opportunity. She sold to her friends and started a website, putting her work online. In 2013, she relocated to a house in Phoenix. But there was a problem: The door of her new home was a nasty shade of green. Undeterred, Christiane painted it a bright, happy blue. Inspiration hit, and she named her business Blue Door Ceramics. And just like that, her hobby became her full-time job.

“It’s perfect for me,” says the mother of three, ages 9 to 18. “I need to be very present for my children and my work.” Christiane’s self-made schedule allows her to be flexible, dedicating time to both. “After [my children] go to bed, I have to go back to the studio.”

Writer Katherine Braden Photographer Loralei Lazurek

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Christiane works Sunday to Sunday, four to six hours a day. She has to get up early to glaze outside, or else the sun will be too hot.

“Most of the days, I work in a bikini, sunscreen, hat and flip-flops,” she says.

Before she begins her work, however, she meditates. For her, it’s a way to sync with God, surrender and leave all problems behind. It’s also how she receives inspiration. She tells me she recommends everyone do it, but especially artists.

Then, using California clay, Christiane shapes her pieces. Most of the time she makes plates or mugs.

Bowls are her favorite; they leave room for so much creativity.

Christiane is inspired by organic shapes, such as tropical plants and fruits. She molds her bowls around rocks or watermelons, presses leaves into plates or shells into mugs. Sometimes she uses the potter’s wheel, but she doesn’t love the uniformity it produces. She likes all of her pieces to feel organic.

Christiane shows me mugs made on the wheel where she has purposefully pushed in one of the sides to give them a less perfect, less uniform feel.

She must then dry the piece, a fourto seven-day process that involves carefully covering the clay to prevent cracking.

Next, a bisque firing prepares the clay to receive the glaze. Then, she glazes. She loves the colors turquoise, gray and off-white. She also decorates the bottoms of her ceramics, an idea that was inspired by a bowl she bought from a AUGUST 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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Brazilian Indian tribe in Mato Grosso — a large state in the country — that was painted on the bottom.

After she glazes the piece, it again goes into the kiln, where it is fired at 2,200 degrees for 12 hours. It takes another 12 to 24 hours for the kiln to cool down. Finally, the piece is ready to be wrapped and shipped.

It takes at least two weeks to complete a piece, and it’s a delicate procedure. One mistake can ruin hours of work.

“There’s no way to speed up the process,” says Christiane.

Clay teaches you to be patient, and it’s a stern teacher. “Also, you can never get attached to anything you make because it might crack.”

But working with clay is something that Christiane has enjoyed doing for many years.

Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, Christiane was a high school exchange student at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale in 1983. It’s where her love for pottery, and Arizona, first began.

“I love [Phoenix],” she says. “I always felt like I belonged here.

Like it was my place.”

She moved back to Brazil, went to college, got her master’s and started her own hotel and spa, which she ran for six years.

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The whole time, she dabbled with clay as a hobby. By the time she was 40, however, she decided it was time to be happy, so she moved back to Phoenix. Now, she makes plates for spas and restaurants.

“Funny how life goes around,” she says. Christiane has made plateware for more than six restaurants, and her work has been featured in cookbooks and gallery shows. She also does wedding registries.

A portion of all Blue Door Ceramics proceeds are donated to the charity Casa Brazil. An organization near to Christiane’s heart, Casa Brazil helps to feed and clothe impoverished children in Northern Brazil.

“I really want to be able to help them more,” she tells me. She does what she can, donating her pieces to their silent auction and assisting them with events. Giving to them “makes [her] heart really happy.”

Mother, businesswoman, benefactor, artist: Christiane works hard, but it’s obvious she passionately loves everything she does. I ask her advice for anyone thinking of becoming an artist full-time.

It’s totally doable, she says. She stresses there’s no such thing as a starving artist.

“Don’t think an artist can’t make a living,” she says.

It’s Writer

Tom Scanlon

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important, Christiane tells me, to always be professional, and treat your work as you would treat work in a corporate world.

However, it’s also essential to stay true to who you are and make things that give you pleasure.

“I’m only going to make things I like,” she says. “You don’t have to please everyone when you make something, but you must trust there are people out there looking for what you have to sell … someone who wants exactly what you have.”

Christiane likes to envision her clients as “goodhearted people who travel, are adventurous and kind.” Her ceramics are infused with her joy and love, and she hopes it blesses the homes and people who use it.

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Her dream? To do what she loves, help others and make a difference in the world. And she’s doing it — joyfully, warmly.

One plate at a time.

You can find Christiane at the Sonoran Arts League’s Hidden in the Hills Studio Tour and Sale this November, as well as the Italian Festival and open studios at her home.

480-528-8937 bluedoorceramics.com etsy.com/shop/bluedoorceramics

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SP OTLI GHT

The Village Coffee and Crêpes The queen of crêpes, Marina Matatov has revolutionized the art of fine dining with her signature crêpes! Using the recipes that have been in her family for generations, she brings a unique Russian twist to a French classic that makes her grandmother proud.

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The café, which is located in Stagecoach Village, serves both sweet and savory crêpes – there is something for everyone!

Crêpes such as Dijon (chicken on top of melted cheddar cheese, tomatoes, Romaine lettuce with Dijon mustard dressing) and raspberry chicken (chicken with melted cheddar cheese, tomatoes, spinach topped with raspberry preserves and walnut pieces) can only be topped by a sweet sign-off such as cinnamon swirl (sweet butter walnuts, IMA G E S A Z . C O M A UG UST 2 0 1 6

brown sugar cinnamon), lemon zest (fresh lemon juice, raw sugar and butter, topped with powdered sugar and whipped cream) or Yin Yang (bananas, Nutella and mini marshmallows).

These fantastic crêpes can be enjoyed with out-of-thisworld coffee and an array of beverages from the espresso bar. Great for a winter treat or a Sunday brunch with the family!

Located at Stagecoach Village in Cave Creek 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd., Ste. 138 480-488-3835 thevillagecoffeeshop.com

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MARKETPLACE

Call now for a free, no-obligation estimate

602-923-4000

ACCREDITED BUSINESS

Maids.com Locally owned and operated

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If you are craving a reprieve from the soaring temperatures this summer, this Strawberry Champagne Granita is a refreshing frozen treat that is also incredibly easy to make. As opposed to sorbets, which tend to be creamy and dense, granitas are icier and airier in texture and require no fancy machinery.

In this recipe, fresh strawberries are pureed, then simply popped into the freezer and scraped over time until flaky.

Adding some bubbly Champagne to the strawberries takes this refreshment to the next level, resulting in a fruity, invigorating treat that’s definitely worthy of a toast.

Writer and photographer Monica Longenbaker

Strawberry Champagne Granita STRAWBERRY CHAMPAGNE GRANITA Yield: Serves 4 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 cup Brut Champagne 1 teaspoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS: Place the strawberries and sugar into the bowl of a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Optional: Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.

Stir in the Champagne and lemon juice. Transfer the mixture to a non-reactive metal or glass baking dish and place the dish into the freezer.

After about two hours, begin to scrape the mixture from the sides of the bowl toward the center to loosen the ice crystals. Repeat scraping about every hour until flaky ice crystals are formed (about 6-8 hours total).

Transfer the frozen granita to a glass and serve immediately.

Optional: Top the granita with a few splashes of Champagne.

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Once a staple of the Aztec and Mayan cultures, tomatillos are commonly known these days as the champion ingredient in green salsa. Not to be mistaken for a green tomato, tomatillos have a bright, tart flavor and a subtle sweetness. They are grown inside a papery husk and have a sticky film that should be removed before using. Once roasted, the tomatillos begin to yellow and blister, intensifying their sweetness and deepening the flavor of the salsa.

Serve alongside a bowl of crunchy tortilla chips or atop tacos or enchiladas for a mouthwatering fiesta.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Writer and photographer Monica Longenbaker

ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA Yield: 6-8 Servings 1½ pounds tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed 2 medium jalapeno peppers ½ medium white or yellow onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped Ÿ cup cilantro leaves, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice salt and pepper to taste

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DIRECTIONS: Preheat the broiler to high heat. Arrange the tomatillos and jalapeno peppers onto a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan under the broiler until the tomatillos and peppers are blackened, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven, flip the tomatillos and peppers, and broil again until blackened. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Remove the stem from the jalapeno peppers.

Optional: For less heat, remove the seeds and veins, as well.

Place the jalapenos, tomatillos, onion, garlic, cilantro and lime juice into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse about 8-10 times, or until desired consistency is reached. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer the salsa to a bowl and refrigerate until chilled. Serve with tortilla chips or spoon over tacos or enchiladas. Store the salsa in the refrigerator for up to three days.

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North Scottsdale-Carefree Office 34305 N. Scottsdale Road Scottsdale, AZ 85266

P. 480-488-2400 $1,174,900 Monterey at Mirabel Village 4587 SF 2.33 Acres 4-Car Garage Outdoor Paradise Katie Atkison 602-769-1910

Sandy Comacchio, CRS Certified Residential Specialist • A professional designation of residential specialty from the National Association of Realtors, the highest in the industry.

• Only a small percent of all REALTORS have completed the required education and earned this designation.

• A CRS has professional affiliation with thousands of other real estate professionals on the local and national level.

HomesBySandyC.com

$1,997,000 Mirabel Tuscan Beauty. 6068 SF 5BD 7BA City Lights, Sunset and Mtn. views. Patrick Rice 970-846-5461

Privacy & quiet await your family on an elevated 1.7 acres in Carefree! Lush green, courtyards & a trickling boulder stream welcome to this pristine oasis. High ceilings, abundant daylight, art corridors. Chef’s Kitchen & Butler pantry, multiple refrigerators, plus several dining options. Large Master suite & Library, 4 Guest suites enjoy 6 patios & flagstone paths. Oversized Garage + workshop. New, best-value price of $ 999K Debbie or Donna 480-375-1522 CarefreeProperty.com

A Cave Creek gem….this picturesque gated Ranch is surrounded by mountains, yet 5 minutes to the Town core! A builder’s-own top quality custom home with artistic SW detailing. Great room includes the chef’s-dream Kitchen, rustic stone fireplace, a bar & wine closet.

3 BR suites, 2 courtyards, pool & garden. Lighted arenas, a 6 stall block barn + Bunkhouse complete a rare retreat in the sunshine.

Aggressively priced at $ 1.3M Debbie or Martha 480-375-1522 CarefreeProperty.com

480-440-6706

Live where others vacation!

$725,000 Al Beadle designed home over 2.2 acres native desert.

2016 SF IMA2BD G E S A2BA Z . C O M A UG UST 2 0 1 6 Patrick Rice 970-846-5461

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The Boulders Community 480-488-7550 Bouldersrealestate.com for complete market information.