Barrel Plumes- Canvas

Barrel Plumes- When we traveled to A-Diamond Ranch in Kearny, AZ at the invitation of owner, Helen Vinson, I brought along my paints. This painting began as a cluster of prickly pear flowers, but I didn’t like it. I reworked it into barrel cactus but was still not happy, so out came the palette knife. With nothing to lose, I played with paints and color and let go of trying to control the outcome. The result - “Barrel Plumes.” I had so much fun creating this little abstract, I plan to do a whole series based on the premise of starting with a realistic painting and then pushing it into abstraction.

— Diana Madaras