Seasonal view 2 of 6 at Doug’s Knob, a high-quality hilltop prairie remnant and small oak grove at the heart of the Nachusa Grasslands, Illinois (see all six below):
In June, a little higher on the hillside, the remnant population of pale purple coneflower, wild quinine, spiderwort, leadplant, prickly prairie rose and other flowers bloom among a rising tide of porcupine grass, little bluestem, and prairie dropseed. The presence in the foreground of last year’s dead grass stems reveal that this area wasn’t burned in the previous fire season. With consistent light and weather, I had time to finish this on site.
See Field Museum Field Guide for this painting (page 4).
Location of Nachusa visitor’s center: https://goo.gl/maps/i5e3XBExocqXfP1Y6
Painted on location, finished in the studio.
Exhibition History
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May 1 - September 12, 2021
Chicago Botanic Garden
Glencoe, Illinois
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September 22, 2021
HQ Barn at Nachusa Grasslands
Franklin Grove, Illinois
Publication History
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Picturing the Prairie: A Vision of Restoration
Published in conjunction with Philip’s 2021 exhibition at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Contributors include: Philip Juras, artist and author; Hank Paulson, foreword; and Stephen Packard, essay. Published by Little Bluestem Press, Athens, GA, 2021.
