WILDFLOWERS OF THE WHITE MOUNTAINS

WILDFLOWERS

of the WHITE MOUNTAINS

While much of the Grand Canyon State is desert and lacks botanical color in late spring and summer, the White Mountains come alive with pinks, yellows, reds and purples when wildflowers bloom - in some places as early as March, in others as late as August. In these months, the flowers' vibrant colors meet the greens of the pine-scented Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests and the deep blue of the summer sky. These colorful landscapes have attracted equally colorful characters - from Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, who passed through while looking for mythical cities of gold, to author Zane Grey, who used the area as the backdrop for his novels. Arizona artist Dyana Hesson knows a thing or two about the colors of nature. Born and raised in Northern California, she spent her childhood years exploring the outdoors, entranced by the beauty she found there. When she was in elementary school, her father gave her a 35 mm camera, which she used to photograph the details of the world around her, particularly the succulents in her yard. As a student at Arizona State University, she discovered her gift for painting, and today, her work is collected worldwide. Hesson says her goal as an artist is to create a safe space where her viewers' eyes can land and rest for a while. We think you'll agree that these pieces - from Hesson's series The Colors of White, which depicts the colorful wildflower species found in the White Mountains region - offer that space. Along with each painting, we've included Hesson's description of the image. You can see more of Hesson's work in The Art of Wildflowers, a forthcoming book from Arizona Highways. - Kyla Pearce

THISTLE

Genus Cirsium Thistles are abundant in the White Mountains - so much so that a visitor could take them for granted. But I challenge people to take a second or third look. In their various stages of bloom, complexities are revealed, from an orderly beginning to a feathery finale. The flowers bob and nod along the water's edge like costumed performers onstage, and no two are alike.

MILKWEED Genus Asclepias

In our current culture, we hear the phrase “Just be in the moment” often. And that has value, because we are scattered and overstimulated. But a deep look into the past has merit when deciding how to behave now so that we can look forward to the future. A forest fire devastates mercilessly; only time can heal the land. We watch and we wait like an audience staring at a closed curtain, waiting for a performance. Then, slowly, the lights come up, the velvet parts, andthere is life. Beautiful life. I can see no greater example of this unfolding - of this renewal - than in the wild plants of the White Mountains. Consider this milkweed. It has blooms for today, and then, generously, it offers three sets of buds that will open in the future. What a gift.

GIANT-TRUMPETS Macromeria viridiflora

This was a special discovery for me. Although I walked the area several times, I did not spot this beauty until the last morning of our stay at the X Diamond Ranch. The soft green leaves and flowers were gently swaying in the breeze along the Little Colorado River near Greer. Part of the forget-me-not family of flowers, this plant and its flowers were dried and mixed withwild tobacco for Hopi rain-bringing ceremonies. Arizona always needs rain, and as I executed my last strokes on the canvas, rain clouds were growing heavy over the White Mountains. Morning Light, X Diamond Ranch, oil on canvas, 16 by 20 inches, 2020

SUNFLOWER

Genus Helianthus There is so much I want to say about this painting. It gets emotional for me – a love for this place, a respect for the rancher who cares for this land, the symbolism of a bright spot in the midst of a storm, the character of a sunflower leaning in, the hope of rain, and the promise of renewal after a devastating season of fire or drought.

Outstanding in Her Field, X Diamond Ranch, oil on canvas, 24 by 36 inches, 2020

INDIAN PAINTBRUSH Genus Castilleja

The creation of a painting is a journey - from beginning to end, from vision to reality, from memory to memento. I love to immerse myself in the plants and places I paint, and this includes understanding what effect they had on other writers, artists and photographers. I love this description by Zane Grey in his 1920 book The Man of the Forest: "Dale pursued a zigzag course over ridges to escape the hardest climbing, but the 'senacas' - those parklike meadows so named by Mexican sheep-herders - were as round and level as if they had been made by man, in beautiful contrast to the dark-green, rough, and rugged ridges."

SCARLET CINQUEFOIL

Red Sensing water, deep within, The timbers sway and draw me in. Walls of green And floors of gold, By chance to see a shade so bold.

"Stay awhile," I hear her say. The wind beckons, and I obey. A tint of yellow, a bee is fed, But a crimson kiss Turns my world red.

CHECKERMALLOW Genus Sidalcea

Sky, trickling water, light and color. Those are the memories I tried to capture here. These checkermallows love the banks of the Little Colorado River, and so do I.

Arizona Umbrage, Little Colorado River, oil on canvas, 26 by 20 inches, 2020

PINEY WOODS GERANIUM Geranium caespitosum

This color was challenging to paint. Nature's vibrancy often is hard to capture with an artist's pigments. But I kept at it, and with some special glazing. I hope I conveyed what bright spots these special wildflowers are in the forest. An interesting note: When I researched this wildflower somewhere, I read this description: "A good turkey food." Well, OK, then - a win-win. A special thankyou to Dave Booth for the perfect capture from which to paint.

Bright Spot, Greer, oil on canvas, 22 by 28 inches, 2021 AH