₊˚⊹ ᰔ”The Cactus Hollow Hotel” ᰔ⊹˚₊

Hi there friends! I’d like to share with you my almost completed artwork, titled “The Cactus Hollow Hotel”, since I have been working on this piece for over 2 months straight now. This piece is being completed in acrylic paint on 18x24” canvas and is the largest I have created in quite a long time. A goal of mine for this year was to apply to more galleries/exhibitions while trying to build a "cache” of artwork that I was proud of and felt comfortable sharing with art professionals. Since I am proudest of my paintings, I’m hoping this piece will be my “foot in the door”.

There is a children’s book titled "Cactus Hotel” by Brenda Z. Guiberson (1991) that narrates the life cycle of a desert saguaro cactus from its seed to its husk, however the husk or end of the cactus’s life actually begins a very busy and thriving ecosystem inside that cactus. This book and the imagery of a bustling hotel inside a dead cactus became the inspiration behind the piece I have been working on since January. I have a bit of buttoning up to do and a few more things (bugs and spikes) to add but we are GETTING THERE. I had planned on applying to a specific gallery exhibition with this, unfortunately the due date is TOMORROW and I know I have a good amount of work to go before I can call this piece finished. I’m not disappointed at all because we were on vacation in Florida all last week and I’d rather be walking around Disney and swimming in the pool there than freezing and painting away here! ◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜ If I cannot finish it within the time frame, I have found a different open call to apply to.

This piece (and a few of my other newest paintings) feels like an exploration of our human identity in the natural world and how coexisting in this space together is the only way to a better future. I hope to have this piece finished up to show you soon! Please keep your fingers crossed!

xxx, Kanda 𓆉 𖤐