Earlier this month, Arizona Opera in Phoenix debuted the world premiere of "Riders of the Purple Sage," based on the novel by Zane Grey. And though the music is the star of the opera, the visual art surrounding the stage certainly played an important role.

That art was created by Ed Mell, who has been an Arizona artist for nearly five decades.

We sat down with Mell to learn about his long career and what inspires him to keep creating.