Cactus Love

“Cactus Love” was made for Cactus Gallery L.A.’s 16th anniversary show. My color palette is inspired by their original space in Eagle Rock, CA. It’s where I bought one of my first original pieces of art (by artist Jon Measures), and I’d regularly drive past them on my way home from my hospital job, dropping in whenever I could.

Then one day Cactus Gallery had a Día de los Muertos group show (Day of the Dead) and I decided to bring them a gift, something I painted. I brought a gigantic styrofoam skull. It looked like it weighed a thousand pounds, but it was light as a feather.

That evening the gallery happened to have a very tall, metal candle holder with no candle on it. It was the kind of candle holder with a big spike protruding out the top. So instead of a candle, we impaled my huge painted skull on top of that candle holder. The owner set it by the front door, and presto, my work was “in the show”. Haha, not really, but yes. Right at the front door.

That gigantic styrofoam skull is still with Cactus Gallery, living its best life.

I try to show with Cactus gallery every chance I get. I love them, like mia familia.