Title: My Little Cactus Buddy

Cover Story:
This painting is all about cacti! With childlike brushstrokes, I’ve drawn my favorite little plant pal, and its bright, vivid hues are brimming with sweet little joys. I used a few fun art tricks while creating it: I painted the cactus with gradients of light and dark purple to make it look chubby and give it a round, 3D feel; I dabbed its little spines with a fine black pen, and the mix of dots and lines makes them super cute and not prickly at all; the warm yellow stars pair perfectly with the purple cactus, turning it into a tiny star of the show standing on a stage.
This little painting holds a simple, sweet wish: the cactus grows hard with its little spines and even buds quietly, just like us kids—growing up slowly with a little bit of courage, and always keeping sweet little hopes in our hearts.
There are also lots of cute little creative touches in it: I drew winking little eyes on the stars, making them the cactus’s tiny playmates; I added sparkling little light spots beside the cactus’s buds, like a tiny candy hidden there; and I even painted mini little hearts between its spines—they’re my secret little gifts for it.

Artist:
Li Ziwen, six years old, is a Grade One student at the Third Primary School Attached to Guangdong Experimental High School (Liwan Campus). She loves handcrafts, painting and dancing. Whenever she comes across something she likes, she can’t wait to paint it right away. To her, doodling freely however her heart desires is an especially happy and meaningful thing.