Description

Last Light
Buckhorn Cholla, Superstition Mountains, AZ
Bloomed 4-12-22 6:15 PM
Oil on Canvas 36 in. x 48 in., 2026
$14,200

Each desert blooming season follows an order: hedgehog cactus, prickly pear, cholla, saguaro, with various wildflowers blooming throughout. I always look forward to the jewel colors of cholla blooms that are best seen in late afternoon light. While other cactus blooms are closing up for the day, buckhorn cholla seem to lean in and embrace every last minute of Sonoran sun.

In late April, I roll my Jeep down dusty dirt roads into the alluvial fans of the Superstations looking for the glow. Cactus like these can have good years and not-so-good years. If I’m lucky, I’ll spot a patch of happy chollas, pull off the road, and hike a bit around them, being careful not to puncture myself or step on a rattler.

These are the moments I love with all my heart. The quail song, coyote howl, and cholla glow in the last light of day.