Too much smoke, but a few cooler days at last

 
Congratulations to Heidi Snyder, who has been appointed an artist instructor in graphite and colored pencil for the School of Botanical Art and Illustration at Denver Botanic Gardens. May your classes fill!

“From Platte to Peak” will hang at Garden of the Gods Visitor Center on September 2. Participation was good: 41 works representing 29 species collected by Dr. Edwin James on the 1820 Stephen H. Long scientific expedition to the west. Thank you to all the artists. Do drop in for a visit and see the exhibit.

Echo Lake Lodge on Mt. Evans is open, as is Echo Lake Park. While you can’t drive up to Mt. Goliath, you can have a nice hike or stroll and lunch (inside or out) at the Lodge.

It’s Officially the Last Minute: Only 4 Days Left

 

“Platte to Peak” Deadline Approaching at Warp Speed. Round ‘em up, scan ‘em, get ‘em submitted, Saturday, August 15, at OnlineJuriedShows by 11:59 pm. We are excited to see the outcome! If you have been unable to get the prescribed frames, check with Teresa Burkert or Judy Vanderbosch, who have a couple extras and will sell at cost. Any blonde wood or bamboo frame will cut it, but get your artworks submitted now.

Member August meeting may be what we get when turning in works for FP2P. Maybe the Board will space-meet… Watch this space for possible further details. I myself miss everybody, but will wave and air-hug from a safe distance until whenever.

Exhibit Deadline Looms; Full Moon Monday

Words Still Fail. Keep track at this site. Professionals gathered and prepared this information.

Guanella Pass - Mt Bierstadt. Take the drive from Georgetown and have a view of the amazing alpine flowers in the meadows and along the roadway. It’s gorgeous.

…And the Long Expedition Passes Out of Colorado. On July 17, a section of the party camped at now-Canon City, having ascended Beaver Creek into the Canon City Embayment and the Royal Gorge. Descending the Arkansas River to the now-Rocky Ford area, camping there July 21 – 23, after which the expedition spilt into two parties, one following the Arkansas into Kansas, and the main body led by Long crossing the river into then-New Spain. On July 28 the party passed beneath Black Mesa and into now-New Mexico.

“From Platte to Peak” entry deadline looms on the horizon in 15 days! The Call for Entry is at Online Juried Shows, and closes August 15, 2020. Martha Narey is the contact for the James Plant List and supporting materials. We expect the exhibit to hang on September 2 in Colorado Springs at the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center. Send in your pieces!

PhytoFireworks Penstemon Display Amazes at Empire Cemetery This Week

Words Still Fail. Keep track at this site. Professionals gathered and prepared this information.

July Celebrations.

July 1 -- Go, Canada! Canada Day.

July 4 -- Hey, Hey, USA! Independence Day.

 

July 14 – Vive la France! Bastille Day.

Continuing with the Long Expedition. On July 5, explore the lower reaches of Clear Creek up to about Ralston Creek, and camp just above the confluence with the South Platte. Very busy on July 6 and 7, visit the “Chasm of the Platte” (now Waterton Canyon), camping at Kassler. Pass east of the Dakota Hogback to ascend West Plum Creek past the Buttes and check out the Bear Creek – Perry Park area for a couple days.

Palmer Lake was a landscape feature in Long’s day. Descend Monument Creek and camp at the Air Force Academy and find your Columbine on July 10, cross Fountain Creek on July 11 to continue southwest and camp at Rock Creek, then set up for a few days just below now-Fountain. Enter the mountain front at now-Manitou Springs, and ascend Ruxton Creek to approach Pikes Peak, making the summit on July 14; spend the night on the trail, hurry southwestward to the confluence of Turkey Creek and the Arkansas River. Look across the river into then-New Spain and set up housekeeping for a couple days here. Be sure to keep track of your collected mineral and plant specimens…

These sites occupy diverse ecosystems: Lowland Riparian, Plains Grassland, Foothills Shrublands, Mpuntain Riparian, Mountain Grasslands, Lower and Upper Montane Forests, Subalpine Forest, Alpine Tundra, and Pinon-Juniper Woodland.

“From Platte to Peak”. Illustrate type plant specimens collected by Dr. Edwin James during the first actual scientific expedition to the western High Plains, led by Major Stephen H. Long, during the summer of 1820. Many plants are familiar and widely dispersed, and you may already have some finished pieces that fit the size limits. The Call for Entry is at Online Juried Shows, open now and closing August 15, 2020. Martha Narey is the contact for the James Plant List and supporting materials. We expect the exhibit to hang on September 2 in Colorado Springs at the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center.

Midseason Wildflowers Now Appearing

Words Fail. Perhaps a look at this site. Professionals gathered this information.

 

Member Meeting. You may have noticed that the June meeting and workshop for RMSBA was cancelled. Hope to see you in September. Check this space for any announcements.

Art Supply. In support of all our efforts, we do need supplies and materials. Dick Blick and Utrecht are still shipping, as is Jerry’s Art-a-rama, if your Editor’s email inbox is an accurate indicator. Check the Guiry’s in your area for hours and access; most stores are open now but some have restrictions. Meiningers in Denver and Colorado Springs open Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm. If shopping in person in any store, expect limited numbers of customers and wear your mask.

Now’s the Time. The Long Expedition entered what would become Colorado on June 26, 1820, and departed to now-New Mexico on July 28, 1820. Now is the Field Season of the James Plant Collection, so if you want to follow along, start on US-6 just north of now-Julesburg last Friday and follow the South Platte upstream; by tonight you should be camping on the right bank [east side] of the South Platte just below the mouth of Bijou Creek. On July 2, cut overland from now-Kuner to now-Evans, and then spend the night of Independence Day just south of now-Brighton! All these sites are in Lowland Riparian and Plains Grassland ecosystems -- next up, Foothills Shrublands.

Northern Colorado Counties

“From Platte to Peak”. Illustrate type plant specimens collected by Dr. Edwin James during the first actual scientific expedition to the western High Plains, led by Major Stephen H. Long, during the summer of 1820. Many plants are familiar and widely dispersed, and you may already have some finished pieces that fit the size limits. The Call for Entry is at Online Juried Shows, open now and closing August 15, 2020. Martha Narey is the contact for the James Plant List and supporting materials. We expect the exhibit to hang on September 2 in Colorado Springs at the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center.

Herbarium Access seems to be severely limited everywhere for personal visits, so we recommend that you find out ahead which herbarium sheets you might want to examine and try to set up an appointment with that particular collection. Start at the Consortium of Southern Rocky Mountain Herbaria website and select the indicated collections.

Enter the location info and the scientific name of a plant and display the list. Much information is offered by clicking on that name within the list: many photos and the botanical descriptions. Clicking on the Large Image offers a closeup view of the herbarium sheet and great structural detail.

A Loss Indeed. On March 10, 2020, Jack L Carter, Botanist and Professor Emeritus of The Colorado College and for whom the Herbarium at CC is named, walked on at age 91. His work and publications are familiar to most botanical artists in RMSBA, and he will be particularly missed by Marj Leggitt and Susan Rubin, to whom he was mentor and teacher.