Wisconsin Prickly Pear Cactus

Wisconsin Prickly Pear Cactus, a photo by Teri DC on Flickr.

My Wisconsin Prickly Pear cactus. When I saw the sun shining on them this morning I knew what my subject would be today.

Solly's house - Maree

A couple of years ago I was cleaning out the garden and threw out some Cannas, of which I had far too many. I was glad to see some of them growing in front of Solly's house (our indispensable handyman/mechanic). His peach tree was also full of fruit and he even has a little patch of corn from which I managed to beg two ears. Behind his house stands the Cereus jamacaru (Queen of the Night) cactus which is still destined to be chopped down. 

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Barrel Cactus Study

Barrel Cactus Study, a photo by Teri DC on Flickr.

I see lots of barrel cactus fruit and they all seem to have the yellow fruit on th stop. When I looked closer I thought it might be interesting to do a macro study of them.

This is done in my beta Stillman & Birn sketchbook. I fell so in love with this sketchbook I ordered a larger size to take home with me.

The frame, text and watermark mean I am playing/learning my new iPad apps.

Another Happy Cactus Monday

Cactus Monday - Journal page

Cactus Monday - Journal page, a photo by Teri DC on Flickr.

While we were in Phoenix I took a walk to see if there were any interesting cacti and found this one, probably a night blooming cereus. What made it interesting were the seed pods hanging on the branches.
Cropped out of my daily journal.

Cereus jamacaru - One-night-flower - Maree

Cereus jamacaru (Queen of the Night)
Classification: Cactaceae

Referred to incorrectly as Cereus peruvianus in South Africa.

The Peruvian Apple Cactus, Cereus repandus, is a large, erect, thorny columnar cactus found in South America as well as the nearby ABC Islands of the Dutch Caribbean. It is also known as Giant Club Cactus, Hedge Cactus, cadushi and kayush. With an often tree-like appearance, the Peruvian Apple Cactus' cylindrical gray-green to blue stems can reach 10 meters (33 ft) in height and 10-20 cm in diameter.

It flowers only once a year, normally in June, and the beautiful white or pink nocturnal flowers, with an intoxicating scent, remain open for only one night. It has been declared an 'unwanted' alien invader here in South Africa due to its fast-spreading habit.

This cactus is growing next to our staff quarters and Solly, our Mechanic, was highly upset when I told him I intended chopping it down. He managed to convince me (not that it took too much convincing!) to let it stay, promising that he will keep an eye on it and not let it spread. But as this plant is also spread by birds eating the seeds, it's inevitable that I will soon be removing it.

There is actually great confusion over the name of this cactus, as the name Cereus is used for various cacti. The species name, peruvianus, suggests that it is endemic to Peru, but that is a botanical error. This plant is actually endemic to Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.

Cactus Monday - Out Sketching

DH went golfing and I went along to sketch. I started out at a little lake near there but there weren't any cactus so I went back to the golf course and found these three specimens: Saguaro with lots of bird holes, blooming ocotillo tree (only blooms when it rains or gets water otherwise it just looks like dead sticks.), and a pretty mesquite tree.

It is always so fun to do plain aire painting.

Cactus Monday - Sunlit Prickly Pear

Cactus Monday - Sunlit Prickly Pear a photo by Teri DC on Flickr.

When I came out of the library a few weeks ago I noticed the bright sun and shadows on these rocks and prickly pear cactus, so I grabbed my little sketchbook out of my purse and sketched and painted it. You just can't beat plain aire painting for light and shadows and personality. Even though this was a quick sketch I like it a lot.

Cactus Monday and Pumpkins - Teri Casper

Cactus Monday and Pumpkins
Originally uploaded by Teri DC

Now I have the inspiration of being in Arizona with cactus. When I saw this arrangement at my neighbors I was hooked and got the paints out just in time for Cactus Monday.

Cactus Monday - Holey Cactus - Teri Casper

Cactus Monday - Holey Cactus
Originally uploaded by Teri DC

I did a quick sketch of this Prickly Pear two years ago at a park here in Tucson. I decided to try doing a painting from that sketch and here's the result. I have seen a cactus with a bite out of the side but never a hole in the middle like this one. I'm not sure what caused it.

Cactus Nest - Teri Casper

Cactus Monday - Cactus Nest
Originally uploaded by Teri DC

I was walking one day and found this Saguaro cactus with a bird nest between the arms. I decided it must be a sparrow nest because it was so messy.
But it was sure fun to paint.
I admit that sometimes I like to get lost in the details like all those little spines.

Happy Cactus Monday everyone.

Cactus Monday - Night Blooming Cereus

Cactus Monday - Night Blooming Cereus
Originally uploaded by Teri DC

I sat in the back and painted my neighbor's night-blooming cereus (not currently blooming). I wanted to do some plein air painting and it's great to be able to walk out the door and do it.
I wanted it to be minimalist because it does stand alone there.

Cactus Monday - View at the Ritz - Teri Casper

Cactus Monday - View at the Ritz
Originally uploaded by Teri DC

The Ritz Carlton Resort recently opened near Tucson at Dove Mountain. Just for grins we went to the grand opening. It is a beautiful place where a Golf Tournament took place this weekend.

While we were there I took a photo of the pot with the cactus and used it to paint this landscape. Cactus in pots is frequently seen in formal plantings, however, the surrounding landscape is loaded with cactus. Dove Mountain is in the background.

Cactus Monday - Arizona Skies- Teri Casper

Cactus Monday - Arizona Skies
Originally uploaded by Teri DC

The skies in Arizona can be very dramatic and when you see cactus silhouetted against the these skies, they are even more beautiful.

Our part of Arizona (Tucson) is in the Sonoran Desert and the landscape and skies are filled with those tall Saguaros.

Sometimes the skies are so beautiful and so dramatic, they just make you gasp at the beauty.

Purple Prickly Pear Cactus - Teri Casper

My neighbor has a big clump of purple prickly pear cactus growing among ground ivy and stones.

So I sketched it and tried to design a nice looking page. 

The spines on this cacti are very long and deadly-looking.

Most prickly pear cactus are green but this variant is so pretty in purple with just a hint of green.

Cactus Monday - Buds and Blooms - Teri Casper

This painting is based on a sketch I did last year when the prickly pear cactus was in bloom.   I don't usually do another painting from a sketch  but sometimes the creative urge just takes over.

Cactus Monday - Cactus Buds - Teri Casper

I was so taken with the night-blooming cereus, seen in the dark, that I had to try and capture it. I won't even tell you what I don't like about this painting, but I have another image I want to try.

Cactus Monday - Night Bloomer - Teri Casper

I couldn't wait to take my 6am walk when we got Arizona and see what was

new. (The sky photo from last week was taken that same morning.) As I came around the corner, I saw a huge cactus full of beautiful and fragrant white blooms.

I was so inspired I just had to paint one.

And probably more.

It is called a Night-Blooming Cereus or techinically, Cereus peruvianus, and only blooms at night. The blossoms look white as snow and because of that easy-to-see color they attract many night pollinators. When I saw it the flowers were full of bees.

The fragrance is absolutely wonderful.

After it blooms the resulting fruit is red (more subject matter).

It is really a Happy Cactus Monday for me now that I am in Arizona.