On a roadtrip with my son David in mid-July we saw this beautiful Crimson Columbine (Aquilegia formosa) along the moist bank at the roadside just east of Sierra City, CA. It is one of my favorite native flowers. I've only seen it in the high Sierras, but it grows all over California and the West, though not in the Central Valley, also known as the Western or Red Columbine. What I like about this picture is the wonderful gentle arc of the stem, and the bright flower against the abundant foliage. 240821. Watercolor. 20" x 14". |
