STORY BEHIND THE ART OF VERENA REDMANN

23rd Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists at Wave Hill

Paper Spine Cactus

Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus

Living in Germany, I do not have much access to cacti. Sadly, I can see them grow only in glasshouses in botanical gardens and not in their natural environments. Germany’s climate is too cold for native cacti. One day while walking through a farmer’s market, I saw a stand offering cacti. By a stroke of luck, I found a paper spine cactus that definitely seemed to have chosen me to draw it. I love the unique habit of the plant and the special greens. Most of all, I love the expressive spines because I see them as an intermediate step in the development from leaf to spine. 

Before drawing my subjects, I take a long time looking at them, observing their character. Contrary to flowers, cacti do not change quickly, and that is another reason why I fell in love with them. 

The Paper Spine Cactus - Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracanthus - is a slow-growing cactus native to Argentina. The population is stable and not endangered. The plant grows upright and is slightly branched. The short cylindrical segments are loosely attached to each other. When these segments fall to the ground, they form roots, from which new plants emerge. As the name says, this species has wide, papery spines. The blossoms are white. Unfortunately, I have never seen the flower. 

My favourite medium is colored pencil on paper. I mostly use Faber Castell but also Caran d’Ache or Stabilo for very fine lines. Although I always enlarge my objects, the delicate spines of most cacti are almost impossible to capture with colored pencils. That’s why I prefer to draw species like the paper spine cactus or the  Leuchtenbergia. 

In this drawing, I originally left out the roots because I didn’t want to excavate them and possibly damage the plant. But without the roots, the drawing did not look complete. So, I added the tiny hairs between the segments. 

Having been to Wave Hill twice with a friend, I am very grateful that I can exhibit a plant I saw growing there in the glasshouse. 

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