Wandering

I'm pretty sure every place has a soul. It’s as if the convergence of events, people and things when gathered together and embedded in a particular location over time embody a distinctive psycho-geography. This presence of place, this essence of biophilia, is what I experience in profound measure when exploring the restored Dixon Prairie just north of Chicago.

At the beginning of the year I started working on a series of paintings inspired by this 15 acre restored prairie habitat of wetlands and grasslands. The winter months with their frigid temperatures and crisp air offered striking displays of light and shadow, dry and brittle textures of dormant plants, and dark shallow waters that exposed remnants of the previous season and sparkling reflections.

I began working in black and white to capture the essence of winter with its quiet, still nature, stark contrasts, shifting layers of ice and show, and stripped back views. Each piece began with a black ink gesture drawing that, when still wet, was pushed and pulled with thick white gesso. As each image took shape, additional layers of black ink and white gesso were added to suggest a sense of depth so often observed in this moody, ethereal space.

As the colder months passed and the weather started warming, I felt it necessary to switch to a bright palette of colors that I could explore through the summer and fall months. As the prairie slowly came back to life, I was again intrigued by the strong sense of light and color, deep shadows, and fresh textures along with the twinkling sun and bright blue sky reflections on the low lying waters. 

I used a similar approach to start each piece but switched from black ink to a deep violet-rust watercolor for the initial gesture drawing. I allowed these images to dry before adding layers of watercolor and gouache paints, often rewetting the entire surface before adding more color. As more dense growth appeared in the prairie and the environment displayed more diversity, I felt compelled to strengthen my palette in response to the intense heat and humidity that settled over the Chicagoland area. 

While wandering through the wildness of the Dixon Prairie landscape, I am attracted to both the outer life (what can be seen and experienced) and the inner life (what can be felt and imagined) of this recovering Midwestern habitat. The seasonal transitions and energetic processes of growth and decay, the rich biodiversity and history of what came before, what now exists and what will later unfold -- these are the foundations of my creative work. As this series of paintings evolves and my relationship with the prairie landscape deepens, my goal is to complete 52 interpretations of this thriving natural environment and to express the wild spirit of its untamed nature and teeming-with-life soul.