Sheila Cottrell’s roots can be traced throughout Cochise County, Arizona, where her great-grandmother, Sarah, homesteaded several ranches and raised 11 of her surviving children. Her grandmother, Del, also home- steaded several ranches in Cochise County while raising her eight surviving children. Upon reflection, Cottrell feels that she represents the pioneer women in her family, the true Women of the West, whose struggles to survive left them no time for art. Her Cowgirl Up! Piece, Canyon Light, illustrates this moment of nostalgia.

“When I think about how difficult and dangerous life was for these cliff dwelling women, and wonder at the differences in our lives, it hits me that what I have most in common with them is that they loved their children as much as I love mine,” says Cottrell. “I can’t comprehend the violence today when every person dying is someone’s child. Mothers are making a real impact in the most impoverished countries in the world—maybe they are the cement that will bond this country again.”

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