Most of the elements of this painting were collected at Hull Gut after our big snowless Nor’easter. I dumped them on the floor of my studio and they just demanded to be made into cactus. I have a lot experience with the prickly plant. When living in Texas, I photographed and painted them regularly. Their bulbus twisted forms are so appealing and compositionally perfect. Sadly, New England lacks most varieties, save the prickly pear.

When beginning a painting, I normally have a concept in mind- maybe even a vision of an end product, but rarely does my work ever go according to plan. In many ways, this painting was no exception except that the plastic bits, trap, and all other trash held firm in their determination to become cactus- and I relented to their wishes.