Source Imagery (botanical)

Winter Yarrow

Midwinter can feel like an empty time in the studio because the subjects I most love to draw, low-growing plants with interesting leaves, are typically dormant or covered by snow.

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Yarrow in leaf mulch, Boulder, Colorado, January 2016

But this month I’m feeling lucky (and the studio feels full)!  Because there’s a green patch of yarrow in our garden that’s stayed accessible between snows.

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This new sprig of yarrow is raring to go.  (Not so fast, little guy!  It’s only January.)

I am in love with this plant because it’s feather-like leaves have a branchy, tree-like quality.

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Yarrow leaves, January 2016

Wondering how many days there are until spring? Let this countdown tell you.  (As of this writing, it says sixty-one days to go.)

Winter Walk at NCAR

For winter walks I love this trail that loops around the National Center for Atmospheric Reseach (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. Too rattlesnakey in summer, in winter it’s perfect: easy to get to, lots to see, and short enough to manage with our dog (loves a hike/hates the cold) on a darkening afternoon.

Morning sun at NCAR, December 13th, Boulder, Colorado

Morning sun at NCAR, December 13th, Boulder, Colorado

I walk to think.

Grass and snow, Boulder, Colorado

Grass and snow, Boulder, Colorado

And to take a break.

The view looking northwest from NCAR in Boulder, Colorado

The view looking northwest from NCAR in Boulder, Colorado

How about you?