Purple Panache by Lindy Cook Severns

Purple Panache

Lindy Cook Severns

varnished watercolor on board

6 x 6 x 0.15 in (15.24 x 15.24 x 0.38 cm)

Framed: 7 x 7 x 1 in (17.78 x 17.78 x 2.54 cm)

$650

Location: Old Spanish Trail Studio PO Box 2167 401 Crows Nest Road, Fort Davis, TX 79734 (Google map)

Aquabord, archival varnish
How does something so tough you dare not touch it wear such rich, velvety color? What kind of self-image must this desert plant possess? “Purple Panache” is a cactus portrait from winter in Big Bend Ranch State Park.

This isn't one of those smooth, touchable "blind" prickly pears landscapers use—this is Opuntia azurea, "Big Bend prickly pear", a true Texan. Endemic to the Big Bend, it's famous for turning a regal shade of purple when the going gets rough. (Would that we all turned prettier under stress.) During harsh weather, the cactus pads are at their most dramatic. But this rosy-lilac cactus, gilded with accents of emerald, amber and ruby isn't simply showing off. The regal coloration (which often matches its surrounding rock formations) is a survival mechanism, a natural sunscreen that helps the cactus thrive through cold snaps and droughts. Come summer rains, those same pads may mellow to lawn green, but in the depths of winter, they strut their stuff like peacocks flaunting their feathers and demanding attention.

Even in the harshest terrain, color and life find a way.

Hang “Purple Panache” where you need a daily dose of Texas grit, or give it to someone who could use a little reminder that beauty often comes from weathering a few storms. (Bonus: no fertilizer is required to maintain these colors. This isn't a hydrangea!)

Email Facebook X LinkedIn Pinterest

From Lindy Cook Severns

Snooty Javelina

graphite with conte crayon

5 x 7 x 0.15 in (12.7 x 17.78 x 0.38 cm)
An Afternoon With Black-Eyed Susans

graphite

7 x 7 in (paper) (17.78 x 17.78 cm)
The Sky's Slow Unraveling at Point of Rocks

pastel on archival board

7.5 x 9.5 x 1 in (framed) (19.05 x 24.13 x 2.54 cm)

$650
Where Texas Turns, Autumn on the Rio Grande

pastel on archival board

8 x 10 x 1 in (framed) (20.32 x 25.4 x 2.54 cm)

$650
Blazing Spirits

varnished gouache with watercolor

7 x 7 x 1 in (framed) (17.78 x 17.78 x 2.54 cm)
Where Autumn Sets the Stone Ablaze

varnished gouache with watercolor

10 x 10 x 1 in (framed) (25.4 x 25.4 x 2.54 cm)
Twilight's Embrace

pastel on archival board

9 x 11 x 1 in (framed) (22.86 x 27.94 x 2.54 cm)
Taking the Heat

pastel on archival board

10 x 8 x 1 in (framed) (25.4 x 20.32 x 2.54 cm)

View All Artworks

Additional Details

Additional Artworks

Snooty Javelina

An Afternoon With Black-Eyed Susans

The Sky's Slow Unraveling at Point of Rocks

Where Texas Turns, Autumn on the Rio Grande

Blazing Spirits

Where Autumn Sets the Stone Ablaze

Twilight's Embrace

Taking the Heat