My homage to Arizona is finished. I have affectionately titled it "Desert Rat" since that is a name I use to describe myself quite often. In this I wished to show that beauty can come in all forms and sometimes even has sharp edges that can hurt you.  I hope others can see the perfection in imperfections.

I finished the "Birds" painting about a week or so ago. I have probably talked enough about it in my other posts so I won't bore you. Here it is:

Now I am on to my next painting. I recently went to a Frida Kahlo/Diego Rivera exhibit at the Heard Museum in downtown Phoenix. In my book Frida Kahlo was the superior painter, so it sort of added salt to the wounds that he got so much credit than she did. But, apparently I came away with a heavy influence from her, because my next painting seems to have channeled her a bit. I admire how much she stuck with her Mexican culture and heritage, so this time I decided to explore my "Arizona Girl" roots and do something more locally oriented. I did not just want to do a desert landscape,  so I decided to incorporate the things about Arizona that I either love or find fascinating.

Personally, I LOVE cactus! Sure, I don't like being skewered by their needles, but they are about the only plant I seem to be able to keep alive (except for a few unfortunate ones - RIP). I see them as being like a person who wears a rough exterior to protect their sensitive insides.

Also, here in Arizona we have the most AMAZING sunsets. The sky lights up with the most ridiculous shades that blend from yellow, orange and red desert sands, to pink and purple mountains, to a cotton candy pink and blue sky. It is a vibrant rainbow, without the rain and we are graced by it on a nightly basis. Sure Arizona may be hotter than hell, but we can still find beauty in the things that make us unique.

Here is what I have so, but there is still more work to do: