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Image 1 of 1
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In the mostly brown and muted green Sonoran Desert of the American Southwest, a spring superbloom following a wet Arizona winter is an uncommon artist's delight, even though you see more photographers out there grabbing all the glory they can capture. I painted this wonderful natural living bouquet on a sunny midday near the Salt River east of Phoenix. I just sat down on the sandy swath of dirt and focused on the many orange and pink colors of the desert globe mallow's delicate petal cups, and the golden poppies holding their faces to the sun at the edge of this clump. It's just 3.25" x 3.25" acrylic on canvas, and will come in a vintage or plein air frame--stay tuned for new photo here as I find the right one--but it will of course stay diminutive so makes an excellent little gift of original art, for an office shelf, desktop, dresser, even a vanity. Her formal name is Sphaeralcea ambigua but she's commonly know as Desert Globemallow, Apricot Globe-mallow, Desert Mallow, Globe Mallow, Apricot Mallow. Shrubby and woolly, this perennial grows 1-3 ft., with apricot-orange to pink flowers in wand-like clusters near the tips of weak, wide-ranging, usually erect gray green stems. In wet years, like 2024, it forms spectacular displays in the low, hot southwestern deserts. In some forms petals are pale purplish-pink. The poppies underneath are no less spectacular, dripping the color of sunshine you don't have to look away from... I saw all the colors out wandering this year and painted them as many times as I could. Give a small but precious gift of original Southwestern Art to yourself or someone you love who loves the desert.
In the mostly brown and muted green Sonoran Desert of the American Southwest, a spring superbloom following a wet Arizona winter is an uncommon artist's delight, even though you see more photographers out there grabbing all the glory they can capture. I painted this wonderful natural living bouquet on a sunny midday near the Salt River east of Phoenix. I just sat down on the sandy swath of dirt and focused on the many orange and pink colors of the desert globe mallow's delicate petal cups, and the golden poppies holding their faces to the sun at the edge of this clump. It's just 3.25" x 3.25" acrylic on canvas, and will come in a vintage or plein air frame--stay tuned for new photo here as I find the right one--but it will of course stay diminutive so makes an excellent little gift of original art, for an office shelf, desktop, dresser, even a vanity. Her formal name is Sphaeralcea ambigua but she's commonly know as Desert Globemallow, Apricot Globe-mallow, Desert Mallow, Globe Mallow, Apricot Mallow. Shrubby and woolly, this perennial grows 1-3 ft., with apricot-orange to pink flowers in wand-like clusters near the tips of weak, wide-ranging, usually erect gray green stems. In wet years, like 2024, it forms spectacular displays in the low, hot southwestern deserts. In some forms petals are pale purplish-pink. The poppies underneath are no less spectacular, dripping the color of sunshine you don't have to look away from... I saw all the colors out wandering this year and painted them as many times as I could. Give a small but precious gift of original Southwestern Art to yourself or someone you love who loves the desert.