The sight of a Saguaro (Sah-wah-ro) instantly takes me to the Sonoran desert. Scorching, dry, quiet, but adaptive. The strong-willed Saguaro is a towering beacon of the Southeast, living for 200 years and reaching up to 70 ft. in height...
I am drawn to the Saguaro because it never relies on a steady water source but instead holds its own. There's something poetic about that self-reliant solitude.
With this in mind, I sketched a lady standing tall and strong, welcoming the sun. I wanted her to be unafraid of the intensity that required centuries of tactful adapting to master. I created a thick set of cactus arms for her foundation and let one arm rise above the rest o bring home the point of standing tall in one's space. For the sun, I drew the circle then used a rough, dry brush to carve texture and separate the green from directly touching the yellow. In this way, I wanted the Saguaro to foster a bright glow around her.