“Duel in the Desert” 30x24 Oil on Panel 2026
“The Cactus Garden” Series 8/9
This series tells the story of Pinkney Dill, a master gardener leading a tidy and serene life, who one day discovers an extraordinary saguaro in his front yard--a saguaro that gives birth to a powerful resurrected extraterrestrial who forces Pinkney’s sedate life and tidy garden into chaos.
The painting illustrates the story’s climax: the sudden arrival of the Zeta Reticulan Death Priests. They have come to settle the score with the resurrected extraterrestrial—now referred to as the “Cactus Person”—who, despite his origins, has become a friend to Pinkney and his neighbors.
From the story:
“...Trading thrusts and parries, feints and lunges, their clashing blades sparked with unearthly energies. And it had to be said that neither one of the extraterrestrials were especially coordinated or skillful. The clumsy fighting was hard to watch. Despite the fumbling outward display of knife fighting, Pinkney somehow knew that the real battle was being fought in the inner realm, on the astral plane. And on that psychic battlefield these two entities were High Mages engaged in a mental contest of the utmost complexity and ferocitude. In their minds, they exchanged devastating waves of sorcery, weaving magicks both elegant and deadly. Or that’s what Pinkney thought anyway…”
PAINTING NOTES:
I always really enjoy making the climax of a painting series much larger than the other pieces, and this was definitely the case with this one. Lots of characters, lots of weapons…and one of those trendy Stanley Cups. And in case you are wondering, the trendy travel mug in this painting contains a tasty beverage made from liquid gold, dysprosium, yttrium and other rare metals. Yum!
I completed the sketch for this one at a coffee shop in the quaint coastal town of St. Joseph, Michigan during my honeymoon back in October. Fond memories. Typically I draw all nine sketches for a painting series before I start on the paintings so it can take months before I finally get to completing the pieces.
Stay tuned for a future post that will include all 9 paintings along with the short story, “The Cactus Garden”.
Also, if you ever find yourself in a psychic knife duel, never forget that you are loved and have friends who are cheering you on.
And here is the painting, all cozy and in its new frame!