"Cactus Wren's Cholla" from Tiny Treasures Collection

In the Tiny Treasure series, I have created “Cactus Wren's Cholla,” a minimalist Watercolor Cut-Paper Collage. This bird is perched on the spines of a cholla cactus branch. The Cactus Wren is Arizona's state bird, and the largest wren in the US. The thornier the cactus or shrub, the happier the bird! The Cactus Wren makes its nests in those thorns, and feeds in them as well, as they discourage predators from attacking the wren or its babies.

This Watercolor Cut-Paper Collage measures 1½" wide x 2" tall. The collage is mounted on a 5"x5" piece of deckled-edge watercolor paper. The cholla, pronounced choh-ya, is made up of many branches. I cut seven for this collage. The wren's feet are separate pieces of paper from the bird, so this totals ten tiny pieces adhered to the square of watercolor paper with acid-free glue.