Coastal Aurum 1

This painting was inspired by a springtime visit to Point Reyes National Seashore when a wide variety of poppies and wildflowers are in bloom throughout the park. The title is derived from the latin word for gold.  While it is natural to associate Pt. Reyes with its beaches, bluffs and dunes, the park is also home to a number of other plant habitats including salt marshes, grasslands, scrublands, and even woodland forest! 
 
The coastal form of the California poppy is a mounding, low-growing plant with striking gray-blue foliage and blossoms that are the essence of yellow, sometimes with a deep orange center. It is perennial and blooms for at least 3 months. Right on the coast, new plants emerge and bloom for up to 7 months. The blossoms open flat as a dinner plate with cheery, bowl shaped, sunny yellow edges with showy orange centers, a magnet for bumblebees and other native bees, as well as honeybees.