Cactus: Ridiculous or...ridiculous?
"Plein Air Cactus" 9 x 12 Chalk Pastel on Paper Click here to view print choices: http://www.redbubble.com/people/nikihilsabeck/art/7997949-plein-air-cactus-pastel The cactus plant: a common sight in Southern California, it means different things to different people. For some, it's ugly (I have a friend who hates succulents in general). For baby squirrels, it's a safe home. For random strangers at the end of my street, it's apparently dinner. You think I'm joking? There's often quite a crowd out there with their plastic bags and knives, helping themselves. For me, it's something that's always available to paint, but I only do so after careful deliberation-- painting cactus is like working on a puzzle. In this case, it was the play of light and shadow on the plant that inspired me to work. I really had to get into right brain mode, though, because my left brain was screaming "It looks like a hand! A hand with fat wide finger...