A Piece of Cake

A Piece of Cake

6x6, oil on board

Despite the title...this little piece wasn't necessarily "a piece of cake"...but on some level it was fun to paint.  I did it a couple years ago from an early morning still life on my kitchen table in soft pastels.  I liked it so I tried painting it in oils.  I still prefer the pastel version below.  Eventually I'll know how to mix (and apply) colors better...assuming I stick to experimenting with oils.

Prickly Pear Cactus

Prickly Pear Cactus
9x12 soft pastel

Another painting for the cactus series...the beautiful Opuntia (more commonly known as the prickly pear).  Something I didn't know until now, cactus is native only to the Americas.  Hmmm, I guess that's proof that you learn something every day!  Or, did you already know that little piece of trivia?

Barrel Cactus

Barrel Cactus
9x12 soft pastel

This is a cactus I found during one of my early morning walks in Phoenix. The patterns we find in nature are truly amazing.  This overhead view of a barrel cactus is no exception.