Flora

Three of my drawings were accepted into the recent Taste of Athens show at Arts West in Athens. I was excited to meet other local artists and talk with the folks who stopped by to look at the pieces.

I look for the Grass Pink Orchids on the Cranberry Glades boardwalk in late June or July. They are the most incredible color. Their leaves look like a small blade of grass. Apparently, bees are their main pollinator. When the bees land on the flowers they get tossed into the pollen. There is no nectar reward so they fly off to find another flower!Grasspink Orchid.

Calopogon tuberosus. Pen and Ink.

Pitcher plants are carnivorous, catching insects in their “pitchers”, and making escape difficult with the fine hairs on the edges. I took this photo on the Cranberry Glades boardwalk in 2024. The plants send up a stalk with a flower each year.

Purple Pitcher Plant. Sarracenia purpurea. Colored Pencil.

Stickers!

I find the pattern on these leaves just so striking. They are unmistakable in the woods. I took this photo on Tea Creek trail in 2024. You have to look really close to see the small orchids flowers when they bloom in the summer.

Downy Rattlesnake Plantain. Goodyera pubescens. Pen and Ink.

Dutchmans Breeches. Dicentra cucullaria. Pen and Ink.

Scarlet Bee Balm is another of my favorite wildflowers. It is in the mint family and spreads like crazy where it grows. The intricate flowers remind me of a jester cap.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird and Scarlet BeeBalm. Monarda didyma. Colored pencil.