Prairies are gorgeous, packed full of interesting sounds, details, colors and life! Summer is the best time to appreciate them. Why not capture that moment with a painting?
Lots of artists use the prairie for inspiration. Check out Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve as featured by Philip Juras.
What is a prairie?
Prairies are mostly flat or rolling land that is dominated by grasses. Illinois is mostly tallgrass prairie. We have very fertile soils with some very tall grasses. They can grow way over your head! Flowers like coneflower, black-eyed Susan, milkweed, bee balm and blazing star burst with color.
Words to know
Fertile: Producing or capable of producing abundant vegetation or crops.
Mimic: To imitate.
Monochromatic: Containing or using only one color.
Vista: A pleasing view.
Groundhogs, squirrels, rabbits and deer spend time in prairies. At one time bison used to roam free in Illinois prairies. There are birds like meadowlarks. Keep an eye out for red-tailed hawks and other raptors flying overhead looking to make a tasty meal of a rodent below.
The Will County preserves feature many prairies. You can find them at the following preserves:
Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve
Prairie Bluff Preserve
Riverview Farmstead Preserve
Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve
Hickory Creek Preserve
Messenger Marsh
Rock Run Preserve
Sugar Creek Preserve
Vermont Cemetery Preserve
Whalon Lake
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is another gem in Will County. It is run by the U.S. Forest Service. This 20,000-acre restored prairie and is one of the few places in Illinois where you can see bison herds roaming like they did hundreds of years ago.
Ready to paint the prairies? Get your supplies ready:
Canvas. It can be actual canvas you buy at an art supply store. But it can also be paper, cardboard or even a glass jar you fished out of the recycling.
Pick your paint. Are you using oil, acrylic or watercolor?
Paintbrushes
An easel or something firm to work on
Water. Make sure it’s in a tightly sealed container like a water bottle or Mason jar. And do not take water from the preserve!
A cup to pour water into
Towels to dab your paint
A plate to put your paint on and blend your colors
You might like a small table or chair from which to work and to hold supplies.
Newspapers or cardboard to put your painting on when traveling back home.
Get started
Find a spot where you want to paint. While expressing yourself artistically, be considerate. Make sure you are not in the middle of a trail where people need to walk.
Pick your subject. Are you going to paint a single flower or grasshopper? Or do you want to capture a sweeping vista of the prairie? It can help to use your fingers to frame the area you want to paint.
Consider your style. Are you aiming for hyper-realistic? Do you want it to be abstract? You could paint all in dots. Should this be a cartoon prairie? All in shades of one color (monochromatic)?
Paint! Have fun! Be kind to yourself; this doesn’t have to be perfect. No one is grading you, and sometimes really cool stuff started out as “happy little accidents.” Those were the words of artist Bob Ross, and we agree!
Let your painting dry. Depending on your travel plans, your artwork might not have to be completely set, but a little drying time will cause less mess. While you wait, watch clouds change shapes, ID flowers or listen to birds.
Clean up when you are done. Don’t leave anything behind. You even need to bring your paint water home with you. No one wants to drink that, including plants and animals!
Dragging all these supplies out to a prairie can be a lot of work. It might not even be physically possible for you. In that case, go to the prairie for inspiration. Take a photo or draw a sketch to work from, or you can paint from memory.
Do you love to paint? Perfect, this is for you. Is painting not your vibe? Try capturing the prairie by drawing. You could use pencil, ink or charcoal. Go for color with crayons or markers. Make a 3D model with clay or Play-Doh. Build a prairie out of Legos or pipe cleaners.
Prefer other forms of expression? Write a poem! Compose a song! Create a play about the creatures that live amongst the grasses! Make up a dance that mimics the swaying grasses! Whatever your creative outlet, use the prairie as your muse.
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