Watercolorist Mona Houle has been chased by a bull moose, stalked by a bobcat and nearly trampled by a herd of bison, but that does not keep her from venturing out to remote locations with her paper and easel in a quest to paint wildlife plein-air.

A Phoenix resident, Houle is one of the featured artists for the inaugural Sonoran Arts Festival, taking place March 21-23 at the Holland Community Center, 34250 N. 60th St., in Scottsdale. Coordinated by the nonprofit Sonoran Arts League, the fine arts festival features 70 local and national artists, live music from Chuck Hall, a variety of food vendors, wine and beer, and a silent auction.

The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission and parking are free.

Houle’s watercolor painting “Iguana Be Alone” is featured on marketing material promoting the event. The bright, colorful painting was inspired after Houle visited a botanical garden in Florida.

“All of my paintings tell a story – some stories are from my encounters with wildlife while others are from my imagination,” Houle shared in a press release. “During this trip, a wild iguana came walking down the trail and I followed him. He kept looking back and then finally climbed a fence to my eye level. He glanced at me as if to say, ‘leave me alone.’”

Growing up in Connecticut, Houle found that painting and drawing had a calming effect on her. Later, she attended the Hallmark Institute of Photography, and she also took entrepreneurship classes with the goal of working for herself. When she injured her back in a car accident, she could no longer carry her camera equipment, and she began exploring other creative outlets.

While living in Atlanta, Houle took a watercolor class and fell in love with it. She began painting dog portraits and was successful selling them on eBay. When she and her husband moved to Arizona in 2004, she found that some people did not take watercolor seriously.

“I was told that watercolor was considered to be a hobby and that in order to be taken seriously, I needed to paint with oils,” she said. “So, I began painting with oils, but I was tense, my shoulders would ache, and I was miserable.”

When she switched back to painting with watercolor in 2015, she knew she made the right decision.

“It’s my happy place,” she said. “I love the transparency of watercolor. You can get vibrant hues or soft pastel colors. I also love the fact that it can be unpredictable. It’s all about controlling the water and not the paint.”

Houle teaches classes at the Sonoran Arts League Studio in Cave Creek.

During the Festival, Houle will exhibit a variety of watercolor paintings and silks that feature wildlife and succulents.

Visit sonoranartsleague.org or call 480-575-6624.

Mona Houle’s watercolor painting “Iguana Be Alone” is featured on marketing material promoting the inaugural Sonoran Arts Festival.

(Photo provided by Sonoran Arts League)