“NIGHT BLOOMING CACTUS” (14.5 x 18in.)

Some cacti only bloom at night. When the sun comes up and it begins to get warmer …the event is over. What caught my eye in this image are the many colors the subtle morning light brings out. The sunlight coming from the right illuminates some petals directly while others remain in the shadows. Even a white petal can be defined with subdued shades of purple, blue, yellow or orange. What makes this flower pop out even more is the background…most of it is dark with only a suggestion of other blossoms or cactus pads. Where there is light, you can see the various greens and golds of other pads and this helps to tie the rest of the painting together.

Robin Vander Hamm

I specialize in watercolors that are inspired by my world travels. My subject matter ranges from South American landscapes to the flora of California. The use of bright colors, original designs and exotic settings are components I bring to my paintings. The incredible range of transparent watercolor allows me to capture the fragile beauty of a single flower or the somber mood of a gray day. For me, an artist is only limited by their imagination and technical skill. The elements of control and spontaneity make it a challenging endeavor. The thought of ever mastering the medium becomes more and more elusive and perhaps a goal never to be fully achieved.

I find the process of creating watercolors very satisfying and it also provides many side benefits…the greatest of these is the ability to see beauty everywhere.

So please wander through these images. There is some text beneath each. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did creating them.