Plains Project

Inspiration

I started the spring by planting seeds that would grow into cut flowers. It has been a very long time since I planted something into the ground. Sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos and a few perennials bloomed as food for the bees. As the growing season is ending and frost will be settling in, I made my last cut flower bouquet. Part of this project was to create and not overthink the process, easier said then done! I have never considered myself to be an illustrator so it was fun to play around and be inspired by nature.

cosmos

zinnia, radish flower, basil

last bouquet of the season

Inspiration

These eyes rarely see a sunrise (I am not what one would call a morning person), but I bet they are just as lovely as the sunsetting. The skies right before dusk have been filled with orange, pink, blue and purple contrasted by lush green grass and trees. As it is flat on the plains with open views of the horizon, the sun and clouds like to show off what they can create. I have been playing around with flat colors and simple textures. In the country you can also hear the little crickets starting to chirp. I love it!

Inspiration

I grew up in rural area near a town of around 300 people. It was a big deal to eat out as it was a treat and didn’t happen often. There was a supper club that we would always to go for special occasions. It has been closed for several years and I drive by the building frequently. I thought it would be fun to brand it as if it were still open. I used the mural from the building as inspiration, you can still see the silhouettes of geese migrating north for the summer. I also remember the restaurant serving frog legs, I wasn’t brave enough to try them 😬

The front entrance. I still love the sign.

Mural on the north end of the building.

default 1

default 2

default 1

default 2

default 1

default 2

default 1

default 2

default 1

default 2

default 1

default 2

default 1

default 2

Inspiration

I haven’t picked up a paint brush since college, eek! On a whim I recently purchased gouache, an opaque watercolor paint. I have sunflowers in my garden and I am always mesmerized by the perfectly straight rows of crops you can see zipping by in a car, the view of fields from above when flying and the textures of plants when you look closely. In abstract way I wanted to experiment with the different colors and patterns. Looking forward to further developing my skills 🙂

Sunflower in my garden

Northern North Dakota wheat field

Inspiration

Fun fact, North and South Dakota are the leaders in USA honey production! North Dakota wins the top spot. Bees travel around 2.5 miles from the hive. This year I started a vegetable and cut flower garden and loved seeing the bees buzz around. I was also inspired by the colorful beehive boxes placed along the gravel roads. A favorite of mine is the raw honey gathered and bottled by Quail Honey in Brandt, South Dakota.

The local beehives

Inspiration

This week for my creative experiment I designed seed packaging labels. I am surrounded by fields of crops and read the article USE SOIL HEALTH TO FEED YOUR NEIGHBORS in Successful Farming and I loved the idea of growing a cover crop that would also provide food to be donated. Green Cover Seed, based in Nebraska, created a Milpa Garden Mix which includes seeds that produce fresh vegetables such as squash, pumpkins and cucumbers. They will donate up to 1 acre of seed to those who plant it and promise to donate the food produced to a local food bank or shelter—so cool! My dad seemed interested in trying to plant it for next year.

Three Sisters mix, a Native American agriculture concept where corn, beans and squash are planted together in mounds, as they help each other thrive. The corn grows tall for the beans to climb, the beans provide nitrogen to the soil and the squash leaves shade the ground which maintains the moisture.

According to USDA cover crops in agriculture are planted for erosion control, improving soil structure, moisture, and nutrient content, increasing beneficial soil biota, suppressing weeds, providing habitat for beneficial predatory insects, facilitating crop pollinators, providing wildlife habitat, and as forage for farm animals.