Not long ago, I met Winged Sumac (Rhus copallinum) growing on a dry rocky slope in Harriman State Park on the NY/NJ boarder, near Pine Meadow Lake. I had already been familiar with Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra) and Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina), but Winged Sumac was new to me. Our acquaintance was in the fall season. The plant’s foliage had been ablaze with various shades of red, and I thought it would make a great painting.
Usually sometime in January, I start dreaming of native wildflowers and the many pollinators that visit them. One of my favorite native herbaceous plants is Monarda fistolusa aka Wild Bergamot or Bee Balm. This plant is in the mint family and smells similar to the bergamot used in earl gray tea. In this painting, a skipper butterfly is having a nectar/pollen snack on Wild Bergamot. Not sure what type of skipper it is, but my guess is – Zabulon Skipper.
Always Wandering Art 