Collection: Blooming Hedgehog

I encountered this tiny hedgehog cactus with a brilliant bloom while hiking in the Arizona desert wilderness. The original 12"x16" acrylic painting on wood panel that I created in 2009, was my first successful interpretation of a cactus and the start of my ongoing "Desert Garden" collection of paintings.  I did not have any intention or desire to paint cactus when I first arrived in the Sonoran Desert region but these unusual plants with distinct visual elements caught my eye and inspired my imagination. I just knew there was something there that needed to be explored visually.