Cactus Monday: Snow on the cactus in Nashville and Drawing from Arizona

Several years ago after coming back from a vacation in Arizona I took all my sketches and photos and put them into a composite for a large watercolor landscape. Here are two of the sections from this painting. I never thought the painting was finished but now I think it is "good enough." In fact considering how difficult drawing is for me now it seems so much better than my current drawings. A big difference in my current paintings of cactus and desert themes is now I use many more purples and bright colors with underpaintings of watercolor pencils and crayons. This one is very subdued with soft greens and yellows. This studio work has no use of colored pencils or crayons but many transparent tube watercolors. I will post two more sections next Monday and the larger painting. That way I will have two Cactus Monday posts.

Saguaro Cactus Intermingled with trees.
Watercolor painting 2005
Left top part of larger painting

I am trying to figure out the kinds of trees in my painting. I hope some of my Arizona friends will help me with this. I am thinking maybe: velvet mesquite, desert ironwood, and/or Sweet acacia. Let me know what you think.

Saguaro Cactus and Trees Resource Photos Below

Prickly Pear Cactus
Watercolor painting 2005 with ink work
Left lower part of larger painting


Resource Photo Prickly Pear

SNOW ON THE CACTUS IN NASHVILLE

We had around 4 or 5 inches of snow in Nashville on Friday. It is beautiful but treacherous. A layer of snow and then a layer of ice. Lew went to get his morning paper and took these photos for me of our Tennessee native cactus--a very hearty stock of native plants.