I just finished this cactus painting. This is Cream Cactus/ McDougal’s Nipple Cactus (Mammillaria macdougalii). It is a 6x8” watercolor on Strathmore cold-pressed paper.
My medium of choice is watercolor. Watercolor is transparent. Your primary light source is the white paper. With watercolor, you paint light to dark, “saving” your whites, which requires quite a bit of pre-planning.
I love painting cacti so much that each time I paint them, I seem to forget how tedious/torturous it is to mask every single cactus spine.
Something interesting about cactus spines is that they are modified leaves that help the cactus survive in harsh surroundings. They have teeny tiny grooves that capture moisture that then travels along the spine down to the base of the plant, where roots can absorb it.
The spines also protect the cactus from being eaten by critters for the water stored inside them and act as shade/reduce the airflow, slowing evaporation.
Anyway, New Mexico is home to over 500 varieties of cactus. I have painted, maybe, like 5?
This cutie is a Spinystar cactus (Escobaria vivipara). Apart from the prickly pear, it is the most widespread cactus in the United States. In person, the flowers are almost ribbon-like and so shiny.
Next up, Claret Cup (Echinocereus coccineus).
This is an old painting. It’s an 8x8” Watercolor on a Wood Cradled Panel. Claret Cups are pretty common where I am. When flowering, their main visitors are hummingbirds.
Later in the season, birds and small desert mammals eat the sweet, bright red fruits the cactus produces after being pollinated.
I love the color of Cane Cholla/Walkingstick Cactus blooms (Cylindropuntia spinosior). They have the most beautiful shades of Magenta —a pop of color in an otherwise brownish landscape.
The Arizona state flower is the Saguaro Cactus Blossom (Carnegiea gigantea). Saguaros are the largest cactus in the United States. They bloom between May and June, and each flower lasts about 24 hours. However, a Saguaro can produce hundreds of flowers over a blooming season.
The flowers open at night and stay open until mid-afternoon the next day. They rely on nocturnal pollinators like bats and moths.
Although you may have seen some overpriced New Mexico merch featuring the Saguaro, there aren’t any in New Mexico!
Last, but not least, the Prickly Pear (Opuntia)
Prickly pears are the most widespread cactus in the United States. They’re known to live over 20 years and are named for their fruit. The pads of the cactus (nopales) are eaten in Native American/ Mexican cuisines. The fruit can be made into jams and drinks, etc. I have had prickly pear lemonade, and it’s delicious!
There are many cactus flower products/artworks in my shop if you’d like to take a look. I’m working on getting the same number of listings here as I have on Etsy. It’s a slow process!
-Laurie