Continuing Fascination with Wildflowers
“First Color” original watercolor and acrylic painting by Gail Niebrugge, sold.
I will never forget the first time I saw the wildflower Crocus. It was spring in our new house in Copper Center, Alaska. The front yard (forest) faced south with a sloping dirt bank down to the road. I was out inspecting the yard, tromping through snow, and discovered a snow-free spot on the south facing earthen embankment. It felt good to sit down and feel dirt again, after a bitterly cold winter, I relaxed and leaned back against a log and watched a Bald Eagle circle overhead. Summer was on the way! Rolling over I was startled to see a purple blossom about the shape of an egg, barely poking out of the ground! Searching the rest of the area I was elated to find a group of six of these wildflowers all together, and later learned that they were called Crocus. It became a ritual to visit that spot every spring and be greeted by the miracle of these hearty, wildflowers. They became my next focus of attention to study and paint.
More tomorrow,
Gail Niebrugge, wildflower ar5t
