Description

Hilltop Halo
Opuntia and Pad, Spanish Ruins, AZ
Bloomed 4-17-26
Oil on Canvas 16 in. x 12 in., 2026

 Available through Manitou Galleries, Santa Fe – Small Works  Show, November 27th  Please email Cyndi Hall
$2,500 Framed

The Spanish Ruins have been a favorite place to visit for several years now; sometimes on my own, sometimes with a group of botanists. Just outside of Payson, Arizona, near the East Verde River, a plateau rises to 4700 feet, creating the perfect location for ancient people to build, grind, hunt, fish, and gather. Misnamed “Spanish” by earlier settlers, this site was most likely ceremonial, created by Salado or Hohokam people.
A variety of wild plants thrive in this location. Ocotillo, native oak, agave, yucca, hedgehog and prickly pear cactus all thrive. These plants would have been very useful for early visitors, and each time I visit this special site, I try to imagine how.
On this day, a small blooming opuntia caught my eye. I loved the way the pad framed the bloom. I found the composition irresistible. Wendy, my botanist friend, found it irresistible too. She harvested the bloom for the Desert Botanical Garden herbarium, where researchers can learn from it for years to come.