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Black Oak Woodland

8/27/22

Black Oak Woodland
Illinois Beach is a wonderful place, full of rare plants living in a wide variety of habitats.  At the north unit, near the marina which is causing so much problems for the beach to the south, a trail winds through a beautiful black oak woodland.  These trees grow well on the old dunes.  I remember one year we had a powerful wind sweep through the area and when it was over many trees had been ripped up by their roots and lay scattered like jack straws.  It was fascinating to see their root balls up in the air, pure sand beneath them. After, what? hundreds, or thousands of years, so little organic matter had built up on these dunes.  

 


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Abstract Field of Flowers

8/17/22

Abstract Field of Flowers
The end of summer is so sad to me, but my sadness is tempered by the beautiful colors out in nature this time of year.  The umbels that have been white all summer have turned the color of Burgundy, while around them the yellow-green of Solidagos are ramping up, getting ready for their turn to bloom.  For this painting I wanted to boil it all down to sweeps of color, so delicious to look at as they merge one into another.  

I worked on this painting for a month!  I thought it would be fairly easy, but the image I carried in my head eluded my paintbrush.  In the end, however, I am happy with it.  All the more since it was such a struggle.  I often find that~ just when it seems success is beyond my reach, if I just try again, Life smiles at me.

 


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Previously published:

Original paintings celebrating the natural world of NE Illinois and Wisconsin


 Melissa Blue Fine Art • Antioch, IL
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