Category Archives: pastel

Jojoba and Ferocactus

While in Arizona I try to hike every day. The temperature is still below 70 degrees F. during the day, perfect for walking. I walk in one of the Maricopa County Regional Parks, a wild and varied landscape with lots of rocks, animals and plants. I’m always looking for my next painting when I’m there.

Marble Canyon is a dusty, hot and out of the way spot where colors of the earth and sky are vivid. The Colorado River is winding it’s way southwest to the Grand Canyon. The United States’ largest birds, California Condors, nest on the canyon ledges, float on the thermals and fish the waters far below.Continue reading

Mallard on the Rocks

While fishing at Lake Pleasant in Arizona, this mallard came to visit. We’d seen him with his mate many times before, swimming in the distance. This was the first time either had floated close to shore let alone hopped up on a rock to be photographed. I was delighted and honored.

Buckthorn Cholla

The Buckthorn Cactus, botanically known as Cylindropuntia acanthocarpia, is a native of the Sonoran Desert. It’s flowers are yellow or red with shades in between that bloom in spring. The cane-like stalks are covered with thorns and grow in tangled clumps in dry, arid landscape. The flowers are quite showy and bees love ’em.

wild Burros of Maricopa County

When we go fishing at Lake Pleasant in Maricopa County, AZ, we sometimes see some of the burros that live in the surrounding hills and gorges. They’re skinny little creatures but they go and do what they like, a condition of being feral. Desert Life suits them.

Desert Life

We go for walks in the desert. Now that spring is warming everything up, all types of desert inhabitants start to appear. Heat loving cactus are blooming, cold-blooded lizards bask in the sun and rabbits forage fallen seeds. I love the desert.

Up at Lake Pleasant, AZ

The white bass are still biting at Lake Pleasant in Maricopa County, AZ. This is a view of the embankment at the lake shore. Ted’s doing the fishing, I take pictures, pic up fistfuls of discarded fishing line and look for lost Rolex’s on the beach.