Edition of 50

15×15 Limited Edition Print on Canvas $290

Organ Pipe National Park in Ajo, Arizona is the only place in the United States where these cactus grow. If you want to see them bloom, visit at dawn in early summer. The blooms are not as large as saguaro’s, but they are not as hard to see either. Many times, blooms such as this one will be at eye level. Plants are usually thirty-five years old before they have their first blooms, and are pollinated by the long-nosed bat which migrates from Mexico.

Historically, people have been exploring what is now southern Arizona for hundreds of years, and for hundreds of reasons. But it was the European pioneers who gave the organ pipe catus its common name. Apparently, its skeleton reminded them of the musical instruments they had seen in their past lives. Humans do that; in an effort to understand something new, we compare it to something we once knew. To the O’odham people, the organ pipe cactus has been a part of life for generations. The appearance of fruit meant harvest time, which was a community ritual that resulted in delicious jam or wine that they shared with hungry pioneers.

What a strange land Arizona must have been to most pioneers. They were dreaming of a big life in the west. They probably never dreamed they would eat fruit from a cactus. How sweet that must have tasted.

Allow three weeks from order date.

In the interest of good customer service, if you are local in Arizona and would like to save on shipping costs, please write a note for us when you order. You can arrange to pick up your work at Altamira Gallery in Scottsdale, and I’ll refund your shipping costs.

This Limited Edition print comes ready to hang and is hand signed and numbered by the artist. The piece is suitable for framing, but is not necessary. Do you have questions about this item? Please contact info@DyanaHesson.com

20×20 oil on canvas

Organ Pipe National Park in Ajo, Arizona is the only place in the United States where these catus grow. If you want to see them bloom, visit at dawn in early summer. The blooms are not as large as Saguaro’s, but they are not as lofty either. Many times, the blooms will be at eye level, such as this one.  Plants are usually 35 years old before they have their first blooms and are pollinated by the long nosed bat which migrates from Mexico.

Historically, people have been exploring what is now southern Arizona for hundreds of years, for hundreds of reasons. But it was the European pioneers who gave the Organ Pipe catus its common name. Apparently, its skeleton reminded them of the musical instruments they had seen in their past lives. Humans do that, in an effort to understand something new, we compare it to something we once knew. To the O’odham people, the Organ Pipe cactus has been a part of life for generations. The appearance of fruit meant harvest time, which was a community ritual that resulted in delicious jam or wine, that they shared with hungry pioneers.

What a strange land Arizona must have been to most Pioneers. They were dreaming of a big life in the west. They probably never dreamed they would eat fruit from a cactus. How sweet that must have tasted.

Can a cactus be famous? This one is, so much so that her common name is Queen of the Night. This cactus can be hard to find, and is often overlooked because it resembles a pile of dead sticks hiding under another shrub.
Supporting an underground blub weighing between 5-15 pounds, this plant flushes (blooms en masse) only once between May and August in a good year. Its beautiful fragrance attracts its special pollinator, the hawk moth. When the sun rises, the grand nocturnal event, like a royal ball, is over–just a memory.
Like so many wild plants, miraculous events need to line up to support its existence.
Tread lightly, keep your eyes open, and if you see the Queen, curtsy and enjoy the sight. You are in the presence of royalty.
This painting was inspired by the observations of Veronika Countryman and Marianne Skov Jensen.

Bloomed 4-24-23 6:40pm
48×36 oil on canvas

$12,600

Nothing Gold can Stay
Robert Frost 1874-1963

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

The Queen of the Foothills – Engelmann’s Hedgehog Cactus, Santa Catalina Mountains, April 19, 2023 11:00 AM
30×40 Oil on Canvas
$8800

Some southwestern blooms are subtle, but hedgehog cactus blooms are anything but. In the springtime, on desert slopes in full sun, every part of this plant glows. Their spines create shade to protect their stems and warn predators to stay away, but they also radiate light in shades of amber and silver blues.

On this day, on the slopes of the Santa Catalina range outside of Tucson, it appeared as though a queen had discarded her ruby crown in the desert as she traveled through the strange and exotic land. Maybe she fell in love with Arizona and decided she’d rather be a cowgirl, trading jewels for chaps, silk for bandanas, and a castle for wide open spaces.

Sounds like my kind of gal.

“June! The rich, thick, amber light, like a transparent reflection from some intense golden medium, seemed to float through the warm air. The sky became an azure blue. In the still noontides, when the bees hummed drowsily and the flies buzzed, vast creamy- white columnar clouds rolled up from the horizon, like colossal ships with bulging sails. And summer with its rush of growing things was at hand.”

-Chapter 11, Call of the Canyon, Zane Grey

Allow three weeks from order date.

HOLIDAY ORDERS: Please order by November 26th to ensure the best chances of receiving your print by Christmas, whether picking up locally, or shipping out of state.

In the interest of good customer service, if you are local in Arizona and would like to save on shipping costs, please write a note for us when you order. You can arrange to pick up your work at Altamira Gallery in Scottsdale, and I’ll refund your shipping costs.

This Limited Edition print comes ready to hang and is hand signed and numbered by the artist. The piece is suitable for framing, but is not necessary. Do you have questions about this item? Please contact info@DyanaHesson.com

Commission

“Plant a garden in which you can sit when digging days are done. It may be only a small garden, but you will see it grow. Year by year it will bloom and ripen. Year by year, it will be better cultivated. The weeds will be cast out. The fruit trees will be pruned and trained. The flowers will bloom in more beautiful combinations. There will be sunshine there, even in the winter time, and cool shade, and the play of shadow, on the pathway in the shining days of June.”

-Painting as a Pastime” by Winston S. Churchill

Claret Cup Cactus Blooms, Prescott, AZ
38×30

Edition of 50

$1500

In late spring, some friends and I went to a cabin in the woods in Prescott. We cooked, antique shopped, and of course, hiked. There are some wonderful trails in Prescott, along creeks, among the pinons and under the pine trees. It was on one of those hikes that we spied this beautiful mound of‎ Echinocereus triglochidiatus glowing on a bank, nestled among the pine needles and boulders. It demanded a closer look.

While I was on this trip, I got the call that my dad was not doing so well. There was nothing I could do, and I was so far away. My friends listened to me, cried with me, prayed with me. And that’s what good friends do. They are like shining lights at the end of a dark tunnel. The beauty these cactus blooms will always remind me of their love and care.

Allow three weeks from order date.

HOLIDAY ORDERS: Please order by November 26th to ensure the best chances of receiving your print by Christmas, whether picking up locally, or shipping out of state.

In the interest of good customer service, if you are local in Arizona and would like to save on shipping costs, please write a note for us when you order. You can arrange to pick up your work at Altamira Gallery in Scottsdale, and I’ll refund your shipping costs.

This Limited Edition print comes ready to hang and is hand signed and numbered by the artist. The piece is suitable for framing, but is not necessary. Do you have questions about this item? Please contact info@DyanaHesson.com

Original 22×28 oil on canvas

Inspired by a spring morning in my garden

-dh

Show your love for Arizona with a set of 4 all-purpose, 16-oz, Dyana Hesson Arizona Cactus Bloom recycled bottle glassware. Made in Arizona from rescued bottles from community businesses, these glasses are sturdy, dishwasher safe, and great for everyday use. They have a smooth rounded rim, make beautiful votive holders, housewarming gifts, and look great at happy hour filled with your favorite beverage. Come on, drink straight from the bottle, and help support local Arizona business!

Each are etched with four of my native Arizona Cactus bloom sketches: the Saguaro, Claret Cup, Prickly Pear, and Cholla.

Set the table!

They come in two different sets that you can mix and match, all clear or mixed: teal, green, gold, and amber glass.
Set of four glasses $55

Use discount code for 10% off your order: Hessonart1

I finished this panting  as Senator McCain’s life was celebrated by Americans from all walks of life. He was saluted and then he left the great state of Arizona for the last time. It just seems fitting to honor his legacy of optimism, service, and love for Arizona and his country with this painting. An open bloom, and a bud full of hope for the future.  

Allow three weeks from order date.

In the interest of good customer service, if you are local in Arizona and would like to save on shipping costs, please write a note for us when you order. You can arrange to pick up your work at Altamira Gallery in Scottsdale, and I’ll refund your shipping costs.

This Limited Edition print comes ready to hang and is hand signed and numbered by the artist. The piece is suitable for framing, but is not necessary. Do you have questions about this item? Please contact info@DyanaHesson.com