Description
Superstition Gold, Buckhorn Cholla, Superstition Mountains, AZ
(Cylindropuntia Acanthocarpa)
True Blue series – Arizona Highways Magazine project
60×40 Oil on Canvas
Here in Arizona we have a wonderful legend about lost treasure in our Superstition Mountains. The only treasure I have found in these rugged mountains is the joy of hiking with a wonderful tribe, and the exhilaration of seeing this unique place in full bloom. The winter rains of 2019 yielded an exceptional season of flowers. True Blue (my Jeep) and I spent some time exploring and hiking among the many varieties of native cholla that grow easily here. I loved this vignette; it reminded me of a long chain of gold glistening in the Arizona sun. It was a challenging painting, and I had to make many adjustments along the way. As I painted, the Woodbury fire, the 5th largest fire in Arizona history, ignited over 120,000 acres in the Superstition wilderness. The day I made my last stroke on the canvas, it was announced that the fire, after 37 days, was finally contained on July 15th.
Those of us who love these mountains are grateful for the firefighters and the volunteers who served them during the fire. We know the desert will heal, and the blooms will return in due time.
