Welcome to Mule and Magpie ~ an ongoing illustrated archive of wildflowers, stories, seasons, and women of the Rocky Mountain West. 🖤 I’m Kris Elliott, and I live between the mesas and foothills of Golden, Colorado. Together, my paintings, photography, field observations, and historical research explore and celebrate the natural and cultural history of place and home.
I love hiking along Colorado's Front Range, learning about the land around me, and sharing what I discover along the way. Through years of wandering trails and photographing wildflowers, I created a Colorado Wildflower Guide ~ a growing collection of field photography, identification resources, bloom information, folklore, and seasonal observations.
Like wildflowers, the women in my illustrations are warm and wild-hearted. With cheeks and skirts full and round, they welcome each season with joy, courage, resilience, curiosity, and wonder, and blaze their own independent trail. Meet some of them here ~
Archival prints, posters, and original paintings are available through my shop, as well as in select gift shops, galleries, and markets throughout Colorado. Illustrations and photographs are available for licensing, and I welcome select aligned collaborations ~ please visit my illustration portfolio and music gallery. I also facilitate folk art workshops for all ages, and enjoy helping others connect with creativity, storytelling, and the natural world. Whether you're interested in carrying Mule & Magpie in your shop, licensing artwork, exploring a collaboration or hosting a workshop, I'd love to hear from you. 🖤
Please connect with me on Instagram for my current adventures, inspirations, and offerings.
This collection continues to grow with every season, every trail followed, and every story uncovered, and thank you for exploring with me. I hope to share with you the stories, connection, and wonder that I find in the old and the wild, and invite you to connect with the stories held in the land around you ~
