A Prairie Journal ™
Fall-Winter 2009
Tallgrass Autumn
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I grew up in Illinois -- the "Prairie State" -- but never wondered where the prairies were until I had spent many years in the Deep South and began returning to the Midwest in middle age. By chance my in-laws moved to Iowa, and as my husband and I began visiting them there we discovered the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge. A visit to the refuge soon became part of every trip to Iowa, and I began making reference sketches and photos in every season. As I became acquainted with Neal Smith, I began to wonder about other prairie preserves. An artist's residency at the Ragdale Foundation introduced me to Shaw Prairie, a preserved tallgrass remnant on the Foundation's grounds in the heart of suburban Chicago, and I filled sketchbooks with studies of its grasses. On a hiking trip to northern Colorado I discovered Soapstone Prairie, a short-grass preserve nestled against the Rocky Mountains, and rendered scenes there in watercolor. Soon I wanted to see more and more of these enchanting grasslands, and I found myself turning the focus of my work to a series on prairies. In short, I had fallen in love.
As an artist, what impresses me most about prairie lands is the sensuous beauty of gently rolling land set against a big, big sky. I love the quiet there, and the vibrant colors that enrich every season. In October, I drove to northern Illinois just to see what the prairies there -- Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Goose Lake Prairie, and Nachusa Grasslands -- looked like in autumn. I was richly rewarded, and the painting "After the Storm" is the first painting from this trip. I have been amazed to discover how many prairie remnants are now being restored by dedicated volunteers. Come spring I hope to join the restoration effort too. Meanwhile, I get to enjoy the prairies each day as I try, with paint, to recapture their magic.Text and photos copyright Marilynn Brandenbuger.
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