Spring in Buffalo

Now that I have returned to weekly paintouts at the Buffalo Botanical Gardens, I see signs of Spring in every greenhouse. All the plants are stretching, greening, budding and turning to the light. The volunteer gardeners are furiously trimming before the big growth spurts crowd out the visitors.

Each week, I walk around, nodding to familiar plants, noticing reorganized displays, new splashes of color and seasonal installations. The desert cactus room is grumbling and plumping, buds are just barely showing on new shoots and flowers. A massive Prickly Pear cactus in the center garden display looked fatter and happier than ever stretching to sunlight and longer days.

The narrow viewing halls make it difficult to set up for drawing or painting, but I was able to snuggle into a doorway and capture some new and old paddles on this mature cactus. Despite the needles and thorns, it is a beautiful thing.

No Leaning, pastel 9.5x12.5 2012