Darcie Peet

On a hunt for color in Texas in September, I was not expecting to find much this late in the blooming season and before fall leaves. On a hot, September day, tucked under the shade of bordering plum trees, what a surprise to find broad fields of color at the Fredericksburg Wildseed Farm as rows of zinnias edged a larger field of deep magenta and white cosmos. What fun, as it was “Pick Your Own Bouquet” week at the farm where visitors could literally go into the fields and cut their own bouquet. For sale. $4900. Available at the Museum of Western Art, 38th Annual Round-Up Sale, Sept 23-Oct 30. 1550 Bandera Hwy., Kerrville, TX, 830-896-2553, www.museumofwesternarta.com

On the edge of Kerrville TX, is a wonderful, meandering walkway along the Guadalupe River where people walk, cycle, kayak and picnic enjoying the cool, water environment on still very warm, humid days even in September. An early moon rises as the sun has dipped below the horizon for a comfortable, cool evening walk accented by water reflections and still-blooming shore flowers. For Sale $2900. Available at the Museum of Western Art, 38th Annual Round-Up Sale, Sept 23-Oct 30. 1550 Bandera Hwy., Kerrville, TX, 830-896-2553, www.museumofwesternarta.com

During the summer of 2020, wildfires throughout the west and California brought many smoke-filled days to the mountains of Colorado. So accustomed to azure, blue-sky days, the haze brought its own special uniqueness and beauty at sundown when skies turned all sorts of shades of peach, red-orange and lavender surrounding a brilliant, orb of yellow, orange, even red, that was the sun. Walking along West Ten Mile Creek in Copper Mountain toward Vail Pass, the many shapes of the distant mountains, hills and forest disappeared in pastel, muted shades. The sky and low sun, so affected by the wildfire atmosphere reflected like liquid gold in the stream tumbling down, while late-season, Fireweed wildflowers echoed the rich, warm colors of the fire sky. For sale. $1700. The Broadmoor Galleries, 1 Lake Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80906. 719-577-5744, www.broadmoorgalleries.com/darcie-peet/ www.darciepeet.com

Plentiful, late season snow has left broad snow-cover at high elevation at Mayflower Gulch, on Fremont Pass between Copper Mountain and Leadville, Colorado. Streams are open, and soon the willows, still brown and red from winter, will sprout green with the May thaw and longer days of sunshine. For sale. $ 2300. Available at The Broadmoor Galleries, 1 Lake Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80906. 719-577-5744, www.broadmoorgalleries.com/darcie-peet/ www.darciepeet.com

One of three paintings just completed onsite at the Broadmoor’s July, Art Experience. Gazing into the early morning sun, distant layers of the Colorado Rockies’ “Front Range” disappear in many stages of muted, pastel blues. Once tall, spikey, magenta fireweed in its final stages of bloom along with lavender thistles edge the grassy shore of Lake Dillon in a blush of last color of the summer season. For sale. $1800. Available at The Broadmoor Galleries, 1 Lake Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80906. 719-577-5744, www.broadmoorgalleries.com/darcie-peet/ www.darciepeet.com

Southwest of Gunnison, Colorado, is a small, mountain town, Lake City, where we’d driven to explore, research and photograph for a commission. Following the canyon out of Lake City, we slowly climbed higher along the tumbling stream passing scattered remnants of bustling mining days. The narrow canyon eventually opened to a broad valley before it narrowed again and climbed up Engineer Pass in the distance. Only one, small, historic cabin remained of the once-bustling mining town of Capital City. In late September we were lucky to have clear, azure blue skies, a dusting of early snow and peak, autumn-gold aspen with only a few groups of green left to turn. Here the stream widened, meandering slowly in broad curves creating quiet “fishing holes” where fish were rising, forming rhythmic ripples along the rocky banks . Early morning sun and shadow patterns skipped intermittently across the banks and stream while the autumn, aspen-covered hillsides above reflected like liquid gold over the water. A perfect Colorado morning ! David Wilkinson and ArtzLine, America’s Online Gallery, 800-958-5360, www.artzline.com/darcie-peet. For sale. $8400.

The unexpected and unusual beauty when wildfire haze and smoke fills the air at sundown. West Ten Mile Creek on the east side of Vail Pass, Copper Mountain, Colorado. $8400. Sold by and many thanks to The Broadmoor Galleries, 1 Lake Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80906. 719-577-5744, www.broadmoorgalleries.com/darcie-peet/ www.darciepeet.com

On a 4-day pack trip in the Northern Rockies, we first camped at an alpine lake right at the edge of timberline. Up at daybreak for a quiet, early morning hike, we soon had wet feet as we crisscrossed a myriad of clear, cold rivulets and cascades of water, spider-webbing everywhere from the snowfields above us. Late spring snow turned the near-timberline meadow to rich, verdant green studded with wildflowers, and especially fire-engine, scarlet-red paintbrush starting to catch the early morning sun. Available at A. Banks Gallery, 131 E. Main St., Missoula, MT, 59802, 406-728-9348. www.abanksgallery.com/darcie-peet. For sale $5300

A desert treasure to explore is Saguaro National Park West outside of Tucson, AZ. Golden Gate Road winds and meanders up and down, bisecting a huge corner of the park between Picture Rocks and Sandario Roads. Winter in the desert means lower sun, longer shadows and rich color creating bold, cloud formations especially when a storm rolls through. In “Painted in Storm Glow” one can almost hear the rumble from the ominous clouds while the welcome relief of light and warmth from the west filters in as the squall recedes across distinct Safford Peak and the Picacho Mountains disappearing in the distance. Recent rain has left rivulets of water spider-webbing and threading the dirt road and reflecting the brilliant sky. There’s nothing quite like the smell of the desert right after a rain! For sale. $ 3900. Available at Settlers West Gallery, 6420 N. Campbell Ave. Tucson, AZ 85718, 520-299-2607 www.settlerswest.com