Hill and Dale, Long Ago

Barrington, Illinois
September 10, 2026
Oil on canvas
7.25 x 12 in. (18.4 x 30.5 cm)

Available

I was challenged to imagine what Citizens for Conservation’s new preserve, Hill ‘N Dale, might have looked like in 1491. Setting up on site, and looking out over the former horse pastures, I pictured it in its late summer/early fall color, with more trees in the bottomland than there are today, glimpses of prairie openings in the background, and extensive beaver impoundments along Spring Creek.