Desert Blooms

Acrylic on gessoboard - 24 x 6 in - 2016

There is a “forest” of cholla in my neighborhood, and they produce all kinds of fascinating blooms, usually yellow, but sometimes magenta. I didn’t want to limit myself to painting just one plant or set of flowers any more than I wanted to limit myself to looking at just one! So, I decided to include many in this painting.  

I used acrylic paint on gesso board. After lightly sketching the composition on the surface, I first laid down a black background (although I normally use lighter backgrounds, I felt a black background would best bring out the various shapes). I then went back and worked on the flowers followed by the fine details, including the subtle white lines within the black shadows.