Story behind the art of Yoona Chea
28th Annual International
American Society of Botanical Artists and Marin Art & Garden Center
Blue Barrel Cactus
Ferocactus glaucescens
Walking through the glass doors of the Lord & Burnham Conservatory at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, I was drawn to the golden barrel cactus positioned prominently in the center of the Desert House. It pulled me in like a magnet. I forgot my previous frustrations with sketching cacti, especially their prickly spines, as I felt an overwhelming will to capture this perfect subject. This helped me momentarily escape the struggles of the real world and immerse myself in the finer details of nature.
The way the sunlight danced across the cactus’s spines at different angles captivated me. I quietly endured the sweltering heat inside the greenhouse, taking several photographs under the blazing southern sun. As soon as I got home, I meticulously studied the photographs. I never imagined falling in love with another cactus. Each tiny pencil stroke as I created the spines with full concentration helped me escape from reality and reflect upon how beautiful nature truly is.
For this piece, I used Faber-Castell watercolor pencils to capture the texture and form on the golden barrel cactus. To highlight the luminosity of the spines, I began by shading the darker areas of the green cactus barrel. I added the highlights glazed with golden yellow hues to evoke a sense of warmth and vibrancy in the spines of the cacti. The white spaces left for the spines created a vivid contrast bringing a realistic and 3D effect to the piece. Lastly, I used a water brush to enhance the intensity and clarity of the overall color tones.
Beyond its striking appearance, the golden barrel cactus plays an essential role in maintaining desert biodiversity. It can survive the harsh conditions of the desert by using its golden spines to reflect sunlight and cool down during the day while minimizing water loss. The spine covered structure provides hiding spots for small reptiles and insects. In a world of fragile ecosystems, the cactus symbolizes resilience. It is an enduring life force within a harsh environment.
The native habitat of this plant is in the desert regions of central and northern Mexico. In the 1990s, dam and reservoir construction destroyed much of the natural environment. Illegal harvesting also led to a sharp decline in the plant’s population, and even though it is grown in nurseries to fulfill popular demand as a landscape plant, in the wild, it is endangered. Creating artwork of this endangered cactus serves as a powerful reminder of our responsibility to protect such species and preserve Earth’s delicate ecological balance.
Encountering the magnificent golden barrel cactus felt like a stroke of luck. If this piece can inspire even one viewer to reflect on what’s disappearing from our world and why we must act to preserve it, then it has served its purpose.
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Read more about this artist's work: 27th Annual