This is a Mexican Fencepost cactus. Also called an Organ Pipe or Organo. I like that one. It is shaped like a star from the top. The spines are along the edges, they are short and give the appearance of “hand-stitching”. Dressed and ready for the ball! Work in progress. Nothing is working here. Oops, hehe.
Here’s a winner though. Saved by the sunset!
It’s time for Art ON 45! Well, time for the submissions to be turned in. I pulled an all-nighter getting my piece ready to mail. Then I re-read the instructions and realized that submissions were being taken as digital images. Haha! Image and entry form sent. Alls well. It is a juried event. I’ll find out mid-month if the piece is accepted.
I started with several layers of a warm white front and back. I drew the shapes and filled them in with two shades of green. Next, I dipped a #2 pencil eraser in shades of blue and got spotty with it.
Layers of greens, blues. Painted and splattered. Then a cloak of darkness, and purply prickly pear adornment. I had a moment of trepidation before I started on the spines. The “What if I ruin it?!” Luck was on my side, I found the perfect small, skinny brush. Whew!
Mingus received a nice coat of snow on December 28th. Sadly, the valley stayed dry.
Two weeks later, and there is still snow on the mountain.
Mingus was hidden by clouds all afternoon.
Surprise!
Right around 9 pm giant, fluffy flakes started falling here as well.
Hooray!
Dictionary
hoo·ray/həˈrā/exclamation: hooray
Hooray, everyone! 👋
Ta-da. Ta-done. The two paintings above started as playful florals for two toddlers. Then Nana Noni requested having their birth stats added. There are layers of paper and paint, leaf skeletons. Unfortunately, most of that texture is not showing well.
This next one is for the newest addition, Abigail. It’s tiny, ‘cuz she’s teeny. I will do her birth stats soon. She was given her great-grandmother’s name, Viola. So I used violet hues.
This last one is a gift as well. Sort of a house warming.
Three Faces of Mingus
One setting sun. Five minutes. Three moods.
Now it’s time to go finish the last of my Christmas cards. Meant to send them out Friday. Haha.
“I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six.
Mother took me to see him in a department store,
and he asked for my autograph.”
Shirley Temple