Western National Parks Exhibition – April 2025
Cecilia Pfeiffer de Widt is a storyteller at heart. Through her unique approach to digital art, she intertwines history, imagination, and photography to create evocative pieces that spark curiosity and conversation. Her work is deeply rooted in storytelling traditions, influenced by her heritage, her passion for Indigenous histories, and her love of nature. Cecilia will exhibit her work at the Local Artist Expo at The National Parks Store on April 5 and 6, from 10 AM to 5 PM. We were lucky to have the opportunity to sit down with Cecilia to learn about her journey as an artist and storyteller.
Cecilia Pfeiffer de Widt on the patio at The National Parks Store in Oro Valley, Arizona, with several of her beautiful pieces of framed digital art.
Cecilia Pfeiffer de Widt: Storyteller and Digital Artist
“Storytelling has been in my family, my blood, my whole life,” she shared. “I’m not a historian. I’m not a specialist. But what I do have is curiosity.” Cecilia did not discover until later in life that her grandmother was Choctaw. Her Indigenous heritage was whole area of her life that wasn’t spoken about during her childhood. When it finally came to light, Cecilia felt a deep passion and commitment to sharing the stories of Indigenous peoples through her art. So, with a tremendous amount of careful research, Cecilia helps share these stories through her art and interpretation.
“The Huntress” is a tribute to Running Eagle Blackfeet, whose father taught her to hunt (courtesy of Cecilia Pfeiffer de Widt).
An Unconventional Journey Unlike traditional digital artists who rely on styluses and Photoshop, Cecilia paints with her crooked finger and the side of her thumb—hence the name, “Crooked Finger Digital Art.” She describes her process as a blend of instinct, imagination, and iteration, often working through ten to twenty versions of a piece before she finds its final form. Each piece begins not with a concrete image but with an idea, a story, or a historical curiosity that she researches in depth. Her inspiration can come from anywhere—a book, a legend, or even a documentary. From there, she weaves together her imagination, historical research, and photographic elements to create layered, narrative-driven compositions.
“Bison” beautifully depicts an animal with a tragic past and, through the efforts of many, has resiliently survived (courtesy of Cecilia Pfeiffer de Widt).
Collaboration and Multimedia Approaches
One key collaborator in Cecilia’s artistic journey is photographer Kathleen Pierz, who shares her love for national parks, history, culture, travel, and nature. Following a career in international strategic planning, Kathleen took her casual photography hobby and transformed it into a genuine pursuit. She travels the country and the world documenting the details of daily life—both human life and wildlife. She leverages her artist’s eye to capture unique moments and compositions of shapes, light, and color to tell a story. Kathleen, an avid traveler in her self-retrofitted van, captures breathtaking images of wildlife, landscapes, and historical sites. Their collaboration is symbiotic—Kathleen provides Cecilia with an array of photographs based on themes or subjects that intrigue her, and Cecilia transforms them or incorporates them into some of her digital pieces.
Fusing Artforms and Cultures
Her pieces are a fusion of multiple elements—sometimes combining as many as seven different photographs with layers of hand-drawn digital painting. She often integrates unexpected textures and elements, such as incorporating Scottish trees into an Arizona landscape or blending architectural details from ancient castles with desert scenes. One of her most meaningful works, “The Hands That Built Arizona,” pays tribute to the state’s history by incorporating images of a pair of sculpted hands from Wales, symbolizing the labor, craftsmanship, and collaboration behind Arizona’s development
“Medicine Man Returns Home” is one of Cecilia’s personal favorites (courtesy of Cecilia Pfeiffer de Widt).
The Power of Art to Connect
One of Cecilia’s primary artistic goals is to revive interest in history, mythology, and Indigenous narratives through visual storytelling. She is particularly drawn to the traditions of Indigenous peoples, drawing from her connection to her own heritage. Her work encourages viewers to engage with these cultures, sparking discussions about their histories and contemporary realities. She believes in the power of art to connect people to forgotten stories and contemporary issues, ensuring that they continue 5ob e shared and remembered.
“Mr. Quigby” tells the story of loss and resilience: a relative experience to all people (courtesy of Cecilia Pfeiffer de Widt).
Narratives of Human Experience
Cecilia features many Indigenous stories in her work, including her pieces “Medicine Man,” “Girl Born in Snow,” and “The Huntress,” a piece that pays tribute to Running Eagle Blackfeet whose father taught her to hunt. Another piece close to her heart, “Mr. Quigby,” is inspired by a quail that visited her home daily after losing its mate. Every morning, Cecilia would feed the quail outside her home. “For two years, there was a couple who came each morning. You know, quails mate for life. And they were so adorable. And one day, she disappeared.” Cecilia captured the widow bird’s mourning and resilience through a combination of photography and digital painting, crafting a visual narrative that mirrors the universal themes of loss and perseverance. Each of her framed works includes a written story, reinforcing her belief that art should not only be seen but also read and felt.
“Cowboy Hunkered Down” evokes a mythic story of the cowboy of the Southwest, while recognizing that this is a culturally complex history (courtesy of Cecilia Pfeiffer de Widt).
Meaning in the Eye of the Beholder
Cecilia thinks deeply about the power of storytelling and its broader impact on the world. “If we had been taught as children, or today were taught as children, the enthusiasm of history, not through rhetoric, not through facts, not through droning lectures, but through the power of storytelling, we might have a more empathetic world to live in.” This is a palpable feeling evoked by her work, which feels very personal, as though inviting us into it to enjoy and understand it from our own perspectives. Her art is not about adhering to rigid techniques but about bringing people into a dialogue with history, culture, and imagination.
“Firefighter Memories” is a particularly timely piece paying tribute to the Fire Warriors, an American Indian firefighter group of the Southwest (courtesy of Cecilia Pfeiffer de Widt).
SACAA Arizona Roots Exhibition at Roche Ventana Gallery – January 2025
SACAA Inside Out – Outside In Exhibition at Roche Ventana Gallery – January 2024
Exhibition at the Stacks Book Club – June 2024
Ongoing Exhibition at the “Absolutely Art Gallery” located on 16701 N. Oracle Road, Suite 171, Catalina Palms Plaza, Catalina AZ
