Blooming Rabbitbrush
Pastel | Plein Air | 8×8”
A plein air painting completed along the Platte River
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Living in the foothills of the Rockies, most people head into the mountains in fall to see the Aspens, but I also enjoy the scenes close to home. Rabbitbrush grows naturally in the dry intermountain West of North America, from Canada through the United States to northern Mexico. It lives in dry, open areas like prairies, shrublands, and foothills.
Rabbitbush, (chamisa) was used medicinally by Native American tribes, including the Navajo. They boiled roots and leaves to treat pneumonia, fever, tuberculosis, and skin infections; used poultices for aches; and chewed or applied leaves for toothaches. It’s flowers can be boiled and turned into a bright yellow dye as well.
I didn’t know all of this before I was drawn to paint this day, but often times the act of painting something will grow your interest in it. Imagine standing in front of something for hours, trying to capture it’s essence, appreciating it’s beauty, and of course you’ll start to wonder how something like this came to be. It’s a great advantage to live in a day where these questions can be answered immediately. I painted this bush and on breaks, looked up it’s name and history, then painted some more. The coolest part is, I’ve lived amongst it’s relatives my whole life, but painting this one has taught me to finally appreciate it.
The best part of my day painting was a monarch butterfly making it’s visit to my paint spot. It’s been a while since I saw one. So one of the last things I learned about this plant is that it provides vital late-season nectar to pollinators.
With all that said, I hope I captured it flatteringly :)
