$15,200 Framed

It’s no secret that I love wandering at the base of the Mazatzal Mountains in the late afternoon. About an hour from my home, down a bumpy dirt road, awaits a land rich with history and diverse plant species. It’s in the sweet spot between desert cholla and ponderosa pines at about 4000 feet. As I write this, it’s springtime, and soon I’ll be headed back to this place to check on the land and my plant friends.

The agave get all the attention in this area, but there’s a nice crop of yucca that demands closer examination. The flower pendants gobble up the late day light, and the curly leaf fibers swirl in shades of blue. This plant has so many uses; you can make shampoo, roast the fruit for food, make rope or baskets from the fibers, and create beautiful dye.

Once again, the land seems to give us everything we need, and on top of that we get beauty.
As a painter who loves color, I’m grateful for inspiration like this, and it makes me want to be a better steward of the land. I hope it does the same for you.

$4400

I was feeling restless on warm Arizona June day, so I got in the Jeep and drove to the mountains. I ended up on a four-wheel drive road outside of Payson, where I had once seen wild bluebells. I was hoping to find more of what delighted me in years past.

I saw no bluebells, so I parked and began to wander. There are interesting plants to find at this elevation (about 4600 feet), so remained hopeful. I kept my eyes to the ground and said a little prayer. On this day, I just needed something special.

Just then, a pop of pink appeared at my feet; I’m glad I did not step on it. Glowing under the pines was the wonderfully bright and endangered bloom of the Arizona spinystar. The U.S. Forest service says of this cactus: “Imagine a group of whitish tennis balls with spines.” Awarded endangered status in 1996 in Minnesota, this variety has suffered at the hands of those who harvest it for their own gardens and propagation, leaving the wild less wild.

The spinystar was probably one of the many plants surveyed by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on the Corps of Discovery Expedition from 1804-1806. Can you imagine seeing so many things for the first time? What a journey; what history.

On this day, I was so happy to see this little guy in the wild western landscape; thriving, colorful, unique. I’ll go looking for it again in the years to come. With any luck, there will be more, not less.

In Memory of Donald Walker 3/18/1929 – 6/4/2019

Wounds have a negative connotation and imperfection is underrated. But the fact is, if you can endure hardships, something beautiful can result.

In the desert, a fun thing to watch for are abnormalities in opuntia pads that form heart shapes. If the prickly pear is a spined variety, and the light is low, the heart shape can be undeniable.

I have snapped photos of these beautiful heart discoveries over the years, but never have I seen one blooming quite like this.

Today is Valentine’s Day and also Arizona’s birthday, celebrating 113 years of statehood. We were the 48th state to join the United States.

These blooms were spotted last spring in the Superstition wilderness, just as the sun was setting. What can I say? I love cactus, and I love Arizona.

Just call me Dyana Bandana!

It’s time to make this practical accessory beautiful!
Inspired by Hesson’s paintings, these cotton bandanas are perfect for just about any use. Tie one around your neck, your hair, your wrist, your purse strap, your backpack. Wear it on the town or on the range, on the trail, or in the garden. You could even dress up your dinner table or picnic and use them as napkins. Dyana Bandanas are soft 100% cotton and the classic 23×23 inch size.

Machine wash, line dry and touch up with an iron if needed.

Ride into the sunset, beautifully.

$25 each, or buy 3 and choose free shipping* at check out.

Watch for new designs coming soon!

As Seen in Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine

*US only, out of country shoppers will receive a $10 shipping credit and will be invoiced the balance once we ship, thank you for understanding!

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