A quick view of some of the steps taken in making this painting.

She seemed to be smiling at me with a mouth covered with strawberry jam. Then I got the impression no she is wearing lipstick? While I watched her chow down on prickly pears, my thought was that the desert tortoise faces a messy and grim future. Preserving and protecting the desert tortoise and their habitat falls on our shoulders. So it only seemed fitting to call this piece Prickly Pear Preserves given the drastic declines the desert tortoise faces.