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Illinois Beach State Park Dunes

10/27/22

Illinois Beach State Park Dunes
For over a decade I had the honor of being the butterfly monitor at Illinois Beach State Park.  I walked 3 routes, and here the season was longer than usual, running from April to August.  This was the perfect place to learn about the interaction between insects and their host plants, and in turn, the interaction between the plants and the geology and history of a place. 
There are so many layers of memory here that sometimes when I walk the trail I must blink away the memories to see what is actually before me, today.  Changes have come, of course.  Both to me and to "my" park.  Still, we recognize each other, this place and I.

 


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The Birch

10/14/22

The Birch
Illinois Beach State Park boasts a number of cool habitats, and one I really enjoy walking in is found in the North Unit up near the Wisconsin border.  Here black oaks thrive on very old dunes where the organic matter has accumulated enough to support them.  In this painting we see a lonely white birch peeking from behind two other trees.  Is this a relict from glacial times, when it was colder and birches could thrive here?

 


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Spirit of the Lake

10/2/22

Making Waves
You wouldn't know it from my body of work, but I'm all about water.  My earliest memories are of day trips to the Pacific where my Dad fished from the shore.  When we moved to Illinois, my parents made sure we lived near Lake Michigan.  
I'm not as eager to get in and swim anymore, but watching the waves still nourishes my soul.    
I've had a series of photos of the shoreline for a number of years, and finally felt I wanted to try to capture the sense of movement and gorgeous color of our magnificent lake.  Above the water rises a spirit fish, symbolizing the magic I always feel from a body of water, and also the wish for clean healthy ecosystems.  

This painting is now available, along with a selection of others of my work, at the Curtis Frame Gallery in Libertyville.  I dearly love this beautiful little gallery located in the parking lot near the rose garden.  Do check it out if you are in the area, you won't be disappointed.

 


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Previously published:

All 14 blog entries

Original paintings celebrating the natural world of NE Illinois and Wisconsin


 Melissa Blue Fine Art • Antioch, IL
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