I think Illinois is so beautiful in the fall. Right now with blazing stars blazing away in the prairies, their purple a counterpoint for rich yellows of sunflowers and goldenrods, the prairie and savanna are at their peak.
I was a lucky child, growing up with a pond in my back yard. This richly alive body of water was the absolute center of my existence all those years. As soon as my chores were done I'd race down to the shore and push in the canoe. The canoe was my trusty water steed taking me off for adventure. In early summer baby turtles would appear, tiny circles floating at the surface to get air before swimming off. So cute. A bit later squadrons of dragonflies would patrol for the mosquitoes and biting flies. Schools of bullhead would move together in a fish-shaped formation. Oh, the magic! I could go on about it all day, the creatures and plants I'd watch.
For this little painting, just 9x12", I wanted to capture that dark mystery you can see on a very sunny day. What might be lurking below the surface? See how the sun sparkles on the surface? And a flash above~a dragonfly!
I started this painting quite some time ago, then with one thing and another, it got pushed aside. Finally I was ready to tackle it once again. Sections of the sky needed to be repainted, and I wanted to add a killdeer. One wonderful summer walking the Dune Trail weekly in my capacity as butterfly monitor, I noticed a killdeer creating a nest right by the trail. As the weeks passed I saw eggs appear, then fluffy babies scampering around. It was with that summer in mind that I added the bird here and completed the painting. It is really large~36x48"! I used that sized canvas so I could really make it seem like you are there, standing on the trail, hearing the wind and the birds.
