Who is the fairest of all? I drew these flowers while hiking during a gorgeous time of year in Montana's Beartooth mountains (when is it not?), where alpine meadows and forests are blanketed with dozens of wildflower species. One of the more enchanting flowers I came upon was the Fairy Slipper Orchid. It's easy to favor this beauty, as I imagined magical fairies and other mythical creatures dancing in the deep forest. It is also known as Calypso orchid, based on classical mythology of a sea nymph who concealed Odysseus on an island for 7 years. Named as such because the flowers are concealed amongst the forest floor litter and are easy to miss.  I also love the deep blue violet of the larkspur, which reminds me of the velvet of renaissance royalty, and the brightly colored blanket flower, which simply adds a happy presence to the landscape. 

And alas, a colorful (and rather large!) pollinator making it's way from flower to flower, doing it's part to keep the landscape beautiful for all of us.