Possibly Prefers a Prickly Perch!

Cactus Wren is my last painting from 2020! 08" x 10" / 20cm x 25cm, acrylic on panel.

Cactus wrens are birds we see in the southwestern deserts (such as where I live!) and seem to be able to land on and flit about within the prickliest cactus without impaling themselves or stabbing themselves with thorns. In fact, they even build their nests in the branches of cactus like the teddy bear cholla shown in the painting. I can't imagine what predators would be able to get past the thorns and attack the birds or the eggs!

The males and females look pretty much the same, so I couldn't tell you if this birdie is a boy or a girl. While I can't say cactus wrens are songbirds, they make a distinctive sound that I've heard referred to as the "call of the desert." I agree with that characterization. This is what they sound like.

I love these critters!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

Desert Paintings I - Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

As you may know by now, the southwestern deserts of the USA are my favorite places to paint. The two areas I tend to paint the most are Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (which I'll discuss now) and Joshua Tree National Park (which I'll discuss in the future -- perhaps next time!)

One of my all-time favorite vistas is the view of the Sonoyta Mountains of Mexico. (Organ Pipe Cactus NM is in southern Arizona on the border with Mexico). I've created paintings of this desert spot many times, with minor variations each time.

This image shows one of the pieces I like the best; in fact, I consider it a signature picture that I use on my business cards and as avatars on several websites -- including my own (http://www.SouthwestSpaces.com or http://www.MarkJunge.com) and this blog.

Then I have this newer version without the wash:

Some years back, I painted this large (48" x 60"/1.2m x 1.5m) work. You may recognize the organ pipe cactuses (used to be "cacti") from the previous images), but this painting of this special desert also features a cactus wren:

Here I included a Harris' hawk, which tend to fly low near the ground rather than soar high in the air as do redtail hawks:

Finally, I painted another large piece (36" x 48"/0.9m x 1.2m) with a mostly imaginary foreground and a couple of desert bighorn sheep:

These desert art pieces are only a sampling -- there are other smaller artworks I've also made of this particular view, as well as numerous other paintings that show other scenes from within the Monument. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is high on my list of beautiful places to visit -- and to paint!