I just had to photograph more peony blossoms this morning. You’d think that one flower would pretty much look like all the others, but it’s amazing how different they are when you really observe them.
Peony Petals
Written by Cris Fulton on July 2nd, 2009The First Day of July
Written by Cris Fulton on July 1st, 2009Here are some photos of the first daylily and peony blossoms from this first day of July. I knew there were buds on these plants, but it still took me by surprise when I saw their splendid flowers fully open today.
The Last Day of June
Written by Cris Fulton on June 30th, 2009What a lovely month June has been. Kind of hate to see it go. Here’s hoping July will not be as hot and dry as the past few years here in southwestern North Dakota. I finished planting my sunflower seeds today, and ended up throwing some in with the hollyhocks. Wonder how things will look if they manage to mature! Some progress was made on a Badlands drawing in the afternoon. Jan Webb from the North Dakota Council on the Arts called today, and we decided to take down my horse drawings at the North Dakota State Capitol on July 9th. So, there is still about a week left if you can get over there and see them.
Badlands in July
June 29th
Written by Cris Fulton on June 29th, 2009Well, here we are near the end of June, and it was another beautiful day in a very beautiful month. The yarrow in the front garden has turned a brilliant yellow, and is surrounded by lavender-colored catmint and deep purple salvia. I finished planting hollyhock seeds in the front yard this morning, and am looking forward to seeing their old-fashioned peach and yellow blossoms. In the afternoon, I worked a little more on one of my new Badlands drawings.
The Front Garden
Summer in the Badlands
In the Yard and Studio
Written by Cris Fulton on June 27th, 2009I finished planting multi-color sunflower seeds along the driveway today, and dug up some grass for a few old-fashioned hollyhocks near the end of the front yard. It rained a little more today, and it was very welcome. After a much-needed rest, I worked on a pastel pencil drawing of the Badlands. Tonight I will go through an iris catalog and try to narrow my choices down to a reasonable number. That might not be too easy!
Badlands in July
Garden and Art
Written by Cris Fulton on June 26th, 2009I worked on the front yard this morning, and my Badlands drawing in the afternoon. We had a very nice rain today.
Summer in the Badlands
Badlands in July Drawing
Written by Cris Fulton on June 25th, 2009After another morning of gardening, I spent some time working on my Badlands drawing in the afternoon.
Badlands in July
Summer Days
Written by Cris Fulton on June 24th, 2009Well, I’ve been doing more gardening and drawing during this glorious month of June. The past few days I’ve studied magazines and catalogs to come up with some kind of decor for the patio. I found a couple of articles that inspired me to use lime green for an accent color, and that is my new plan. Today I thought maybe I’d better get back to work in the studio, and I made some good progress on my drawing of summer in the Badlands.
Summer in the Badlands
An Afternoon in June
Written by Cris Fulton on June 20th, 2009It was a beautiful afternoon yesterday, with lots of interesting clouds. Decided to drive north of Bowman to see how the country looked. Everything was green, green, and there were lots of prairie flowers in bloom. I saw some penstemon, northern bedstraw, butte marigolds, butte candles, downy paintbrush, and prairie turnips. The crocus plants had all gone to seed, and their white plumes enlivened the tall, thick, green grass on the gently sloping hillsides. The clouds sailed by above it all, creating new compositions everywhere I looked.
It was so calm when I returned home, and the light was so nice, that I thought I’d capture some backyard beauty as well. Here’s a photo of one of the irises near the patio, late in the afternoon on a late spring day.
Badlands Drawings
Written by Cris Fulton on June 19th, 2009There’s been some progress made on my two new Badlands drawings. It’s not that easy staying inside on such wonderful days in June. Yesterday I toured a garden in Bowman that was ablaze with 150 irises at or near their peak. I had never seen such beautiful colors and patterns, and it inspired me to find a place for some of my own.
Summer in the Badlands
Badlands in July