When I returned to Bowman, I volunteered my time at Pioneer Trails Regional Museum. I developed an Indian exhibit, “Native Americans in Dakota Territory, and a native plant garden, “The Prairie Walk.”

Cris with Indian Exhibit

Entrance to Indian Exhibit

Cave Hills Rock Art on Exhibit Wall

Cris (in pink jacket) on Rock Art Survey in Cave Hills

Fountain and Pavers at the Prairie Walk Garden
The projects at the museum got me out into the countryside surrounding Bowman, and I began taking photographs of the prairie. While making labels for the Indian exhibit, I learned to use a computer, which I then used to make note cards and prints of my prairie scenes. I sold some of them at the Western Edge Bookstore in Medora. During this time, NMN, Inc. of Minnesota began publishing my photographs as post cards.

“Big Sky Day” Pastel Drawing
The drawing above is based on a photograph I took after a day of recording rock art in the North Cave Hills. It is one of my favorite images, so elemental and so expressive of the prairie sky and horizon.
From about 1993 to 2003, I didn’t make any drawings. I’d been concentrating on the museum projects and my photographs of the prairie. My interest in the prairie led me to compile a book manuscript that combined quotations about the grasslands with my photographs. I didn’t find a publisher, but it greatly enhanced my knowledge and appreciation for this country.
Around 2003 or 2004, I tried my first landscape drawings. The country had been slowly seeping into my skin, and I was being pulled more and more to make art from it. Whenever I saw a landscape painting in a magazine, I felt I wanted to do that. Then I got a Wolf Kahn landscape book, and really looked at it. I remembered seeing his large paintings at the Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe, and they had made a lasting impression. It seemed to me that I could come up with some simple images to start with, just to see how it would go. One night I had a dream in which I was drawing clouds over the prairie in bold, vigourous strokes. I was so excited about it, that in my dream I ran to the art store without stopping to put my shoes on. When I woke up, I knew that I just had to give landscape drawing a whirl.

Cris with First Landscape Exhibit, 2005
After some time, I was able to put together a show at Pioneer Trails Regional Museum. It was a combination of my first landscape drawings, along with my photographs of the Badlands. I later had an exhibit at the Bowman Library, as well as one at the Crossroads Arts Center in Hettinger.

Crossroads Arts Center in Hettinger
In 2007, Bowman County celebrated its centennial, and I helped Colleen Kelley put together a calendar and book for the occasion.

Bowman County Centennial Calendar

Bowman County Centennial Book
In 2007, NMN,Inc. published six of my photographs in their North Dakota calendar. North Dakota Horizons published three of my photographs in their 2008 North Dakota Calendar. One was of crocus blossoms at sunset, another a windmill at sunrise, and also one of sunflowers in a field. It was very exciting to see my work in print.
I continued to work on my landscape drawings. The first ones were drawn with soft pastels, but as I found more complex subjects, I began to use pastel pencils as well. In 2009, I created a series of ten Equus drawings that were shown at the offices of Governor John Hoeven and First Lady Mikey Hoeven.

Equus Exhibit Brochure
One of my landscapes, an image of a summer cloud near Talbot Butte, was chosen for the Arts Dakota touring exhibition, which is being presented around the state in celebration of the North Dakota Council on the Arts’ 40th anniversary. Many of the state’s best artists are represented in this show.

Arts Dakota Exhibit at Dickinson State University
Twenty of my pastel landscapes were selected by the North Dakota Art Gallery Association to go on a touring exhibit from 2009 to 2011. The exhibit is titled “Prairie Pastels” and is currently at Memorial Union Gallery at NDSU. There will be a reception on Thursday, November 19th, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Monte Yellow Bird’s work is being shown in conjunction with mine, and he will unveil a commissioned piece from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.

“Prairie Pastels” at Bismarck Art & Galleries Association
So far, the “Prairie Pastels” exhibit has been at Jamestown Art Center, Bismarck Art & Galleries Associatio, Cando Art Center, and Memorial Union Gallery at NDSU. Future venues will include Lake Region Heritage Center in Devils Lake, James Memorial Art Center in Williston, and Northwest Art Center in Minot. It’s a real honor to have my landscape work shown around the state of North Dakota.
Sally Jeppson, gallery manager of the Jamestown Art Center, wrote this for an article in the Jamestown Sun newspaper: “With subtle and simple style Fulton’s pastels portray moments of sublime solitude and intense drama that the prairies have to offer. Visitors to the exhibit will see familiar landscapes and will marvel at the artist’s ability to capture these scenic vistas as they change with the season and time of day.”
I guess that just about wraps up this short history. It’s been interesting for me to go back and think about my influences and circumstances that have brought me to this point on my journey. I have found lots of material I need to get more organized, but this should give you an idea of my life from Bowman to Minneapolis, Taos, and back to Bowman.