Fine Art in the Flint Hills: February 2016

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Plateaus in the Flint Hills

Just gazing at Plateaus seem to Lift one high above the prairie.

fine art in the flint hills

Plateau across the Prairie mary todd

Plateau and Clouds mktodd

fine art in the flint hills

Plateaus in the Great Plains mtodd

fine art in the flint hills

Solitude on the Plateau mary todd

fine art in the flint hills

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

The Commute from the Flint Hills

One who commutes from the Flint Hills into town arrives in a Zen frame of mind.
Thank you, Kind Flint Hills.

Beauty Horses mary todd

The Flint Hills Daily Commute

The daily commute from a prairie,
through the gentle hills,
is infused with What Is Important, and a lovely calm bathes the cells.

fine art in the Flint Hills

morning commute horses on the Flint Hills mtodd

fine art in the Flint Hills

(Sometimes arriving in town can be jarring; but usually the Centering is strong enough to withstand even election season.)

Country Road at Sunrise mtodd


fine art in the Flint Hills

A Morning Sky on the Flint Hills Commute

The Eagle tree... more click HERE

One day I got out of the truck to look at a snake in the road:

A snake right in the middle of the road... mtodd

In fact, i have to leave for town early, because it is almost impossible not to stop and take a picture or ten...

If you go to your internet search bar

and type in

The Daily commute... hit images ...

you will feel oppressed just looking.

Instead, here is what you will find 'round here:

Foggy Morning Sunflowers mtodd

fine art in the Flint Hills

Morning Foggy Sunflowers DETAIL mtodd

fine art in the Flint Hills

Morning Flint Hills Commute Sky on Fire mtodd

fine art in the Flint Hills

Sunrise in the Flint Hills Poster mktodd

fine art in the Flint Hills

One little concentrated area of flint hills-- in a half mile of the Daily Commute-- seems to cause confusion: the radio waves are scrambled, and birds are rattled in some way. I have rescued several large raptors in the area, and small birds also seem to fly in a less safe manner than usual. Here are some pictures of an owl stunned in the middle of the road--in the wee morning hours it would have shortly been hit by a vehicle, but i scooped it up, said a prayer, and drove to the university vet school with a giant owl on my lap! Story HERE.

Owl Rescue mtodd

The Daily Commute from the Flint Hills

fine art in the Flint Hills

Beautiful Owl at the Vet after road hit

How is your commute?

Foggy Morning Sunflower Poster mary todd

fine art in the Flint Hills

Cow Poster mary todd

fine art in the Flint Hills

The White Star Club in the Morning

fine art in the Flint Hills

Good Morning Everyone!

fine art in the Flint Hills

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Monday, February 15, 2016

Amazing Horizons

Every season brings beauty in these Flint Hills. The sometimes stark horizons lack no excitement; the colors and textures of the simple layers are like new paintings every morning, every night...

The clouds in the Kansa sky are strange and impossible. But-- here is the photographic proof! no retouching is needed. --although, when one looks at the collection of pictures and paintings from the Flint Hills, the colors may seem impossible...they are not...

Fine Art in the Flint Hills

Konza Moon...mkTodd

Fine Art in the Flint Hills

Strange Sun in Sky poster mktodd

Glorious, Untouched Skies...

Fine Art in the Flint Hills

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lovely young hawk mtodd

It is cold here...

Here's a nice little snow drifting...

Fine Art in the Flint Hills

Birds of The Flint Hills (two)

So many birds find a wonderful habitat in the Flint Hills.

I know that many people think of Kansas as barren, but they are quite surprised when they experience the richness of plant and animal life here.

Birds of the Flint Hills (part one) click HERE

Meadowlark state bird of kansas Mary todd

The hills do provide some hiding places in the winter,
and there is a bit less encroachment on the land here in flyover country...

Many crows seem to arrive in winter, although there are some crows year round.

fine art in the flint hills

Crow in the Snow m.k.todd

fine art in the flint hills

A Robin Takes a Bath mktodd

fine art in the flint hills

Crow

A beautiful Northern Flicker.

fine art in the flint hills

Note the camouflage of the Western Meadowlark, the state bird.

fine art in the flint hills

Happy Meadowlark

Flicker in wind

fine art in the flint hills

One can see lots of Red-bellied Woodpeckers in the flint hills.

fine art in the flint hills

The Tallgrass Prairie,

as wonderful as it is, is almost gone.

Only 5% of this original area is left.

Original Tallgrass Area Map

We are the last remaining bit of the vast grasslands of the Tallgrass Prairie, once stretching the length of the continent.
(Grasslands are the source of all life, really...)

Here is a great quote and map from
the following site: beyond-the-commonplace-tallgrass-prairie-national-preserve-flint-hills-kansas

"...Our continent's most endangered ecosystem,

the tallgrass prairie (America's grassland) has

shriveled to only 5% of its former glory

(the map image at left is from Last Stand of the Tallgrass Prairie). It is as if a horde of invaders slowly consumed the former empire, devouring its majestic sprawl, one paved asphalt assault at a time. I once wrote about this conflicted aspect of conurbation, my struggle with progress versus preservation and the need for protecting nature from our own relentless consumption. I don't think I am alone in the dichotomous feelings one has, benefiting from the amplitude of the 21st century at the expense of our consumptive ways..."

Tallgrass Prairie Endangered ecosystem

ONLY 5% remaining...

All that we can do to help preserve this wonderful ecosystem is important.
Visit the Flint Hills Discovery Center: (it will make a difference in your thinking.)

Some of the lovely, intelligent crows i love to photograph: