Finding the Beauty of Nature in Unexpected Spaces.
MADE WITH LOVE IN MINNESOTA
Hello and welcome! I’m Kristin Maija Peterson, a visual artist and writer who connects you with the natural world’s ordinary, yet extraordinary realms through art, observation, science, and story.
My work advocates for the wild, misunderstood, and “hidden spaces” within Midwest landscapes and those I discover traveling abroad. The spaces and places I find intriguing and magical are often the ones we miss or pass by, yet their details and complexities reveal connections vital to larger ecosystems and our well-being. There is such awe and beauty in the natural way of things.
For every subject I draw, paint, or print, I craft a story that blends art with science to provide a deeper understanding and connection to our natural world. Everything is so amazing out here.
“At The Edge of Our Lawns” Solo Exhibition
THIS SUMMER: On View until September 20, 2026Responding to the chaos and upheavals of current affairs and climate urgencies, At The Edge of Our Lawns
turns toward the sky — a distinctive blend of personal memory, ecology, art, and design that reverences the
grace of birds and the wonder of insects.
With detailed, layered watercolors and drawings, written observation, story, and science, At The Edge of Our Lawns
becomes a visual meditation on the life that continues at the margins of our landscapes, bringing attention to our
human desire to find connection and the peace of wild things.
Where: The Artistry (Bloomington Center for the Arts), Atrium Gallery (Second Level).
Located at 1800 W Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington, MN 55431.
Free and open to the public. All are welcome.
“The Future Is Present” Group Exhibit
On View: August 13 till December 6, 2026The Mississippi River in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area is nothing like it was 100 years ago, and that is a good thing. In 1926, the Minnesota and Wisconsin boards of health pronounced the river “unfit” and “a potential danger” and declared fish “practically exterminated.” In response, the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul joined together to collect and treat sewage, leading to tremendous improvements to water quality, habitat, and biodiversity over the following decades.
I will be showing four pieces from my River Divination series.
This is a celebration. All are welcome.
connect with nature in a whole new way
From My Studio to Your Home
From local wanderings, travels to islands, and hunting for beauty in unexpected places in my yard and garden, the intention for my watercolors and drawings is to bring nature’s stories and her serenity into your home.
Each piece takes on average a month to complete. All the while, I am thinking of the people who will one day resonate with the art I make and the stories I write, and want it in their lives. Connecting with you in this way is pure joy.
[ free shipping for all art prints ]
We are making improvements to the fine art prints shop for a
better quality and experience. Relaunching the shop in August 2026.
FROM THE GARDEN
Reaching for the Light
When art imitates life (or is it the other way around?). I had just finished this watercolor painting. A day or so later, I am walking through my mostly native garden to replenish the suet feeder when I spot young, emerging Sedum. Small as sugar peas, their tiny “mouths” are open to eat the sun. What I witnessed in my garden was mirrored in my painting.
Reaching for the Light is about natural cycles, transformation, and resilience. It’s a wonder my single token Sedum survives. It needs more light than I can offer and the resident rabbit (I call her Lucy), likes to lop off Sedum branches for sport as she doesn’t eat them. Still, the Sedum persist and manages to bloom in late summer. Never underestimate the tenacity of plants.
ABOUT THIS PIECE: This original Minnesota botanical watercolor, painted on 300 lb. Fabriano Coldpress paper,
is available as a limited-edition archival print for collectors who love nature-inspired art for their home.
Original watercolor — In Private Collection
Reaching for the Light is offered as a limited-edition archival print available for collectors.
Please note that Artist Original Fine Art Prints is on pause and will relaunch in late August 2026.
Stay a while
Make Yourself at Home
RIVER DIVINATIONS
The river welds its muse to shape the stories we tell ourselves. Ask people to look at what the water is saying, hear her poetry, and sense her magic. We feel so much better sitting at the river’s edge.
VIEWS FROM ABOVE
This is a collection of recent works inspired by nature at my feet. You don’t have to look far to find something intriguing, curious, or downright stunning. It’s the awe of nature.
FOR THE LOVE OF BIRDS
Birds lift me up. They taught me how to meditate for who can think of anything or despair when observing birds? The beauty of their flight is an ongoing fascination.
NATIVE WILD SPACES
I am drawn to spaces in between the landscape, spaces intimate and nuanced. Native wild spaces overlooked because they are messy or hidden but are no less important. There is magic out here.
FEATURED IN THE STUDIO
On Earth Our Time Is Precious
ABOUT THIS PIECE: Watercolor on 300 lb. Fabriano Coldpress paper, 16 x 16 inches (artwork). 28 x 28 inches (framed). $2000. Would you like this piece for your home?
Please contact us.
The approaches plants take to ensure their survival never cease to amaze. For the spring ephemeral, Hepatica, she demonstrates her evolutionary tactics with insight.
Rising from dormancy in unpredictable conditions, her time is brief. With evergreen leaves, she is primed to take in the sun, creating energy (photosynthesis), before other wildflowers emerge and while the trees are still bare.
Hairy stems, hairy brackets, and thick, leathery leaves with hairy undersides keep her from being eaten when food of any kind is scarce. Being a Buttercup member doesn’t hurt either. (This family can be toxic.)
While Hepatica can self-pollinate, she’d rather have help. In being efficient and guarded on how she allocates her energy, she knows her pollinator allies are interested in nectar. Yet, at this time of year, it’s her nutrient-rich pollen that’s more precious to them. She foregoes making nectar and opts for pollen production.
Soon Hepatica drops her purple petal skirts, exposing her seeds, each with a tiny appendage called an elaiosome.
A LITTLE HELP FROM THE ANTS
Somewhere over the past million years or so, a relationship formed between Hepatica and the ants. Her offering of protein-fat-rich elaiosome is her gift to the ants in exchange for her seeds’ dispersal.
The ants carry off the seeds, taking them into their nutrient-rich mounds to eat their treats, casting the Hepatica seeds aside, leaving them essentially planted, away from hungry mouths, to germinate far from their mother.
Thanks to the ants, we’re apt to experience that first rush of the spring on a hike through the woods, seeing life return in little purple blooms.
FROM THE PRAIRIE
Wild Indigo
I have yet to see Wild Indigo in bloom. I happen to spot them in autumn, when instead of flowers, there are the distinctive pea (legume) seed pods. Until I return to Lebanon Hills, where the wild indigo blooms, I won’t know her true name:
Could it be Baptisia bracteata (Plains Wild Indigo) that has a light yellow flower? Or Baptisia lactea (White Wild Indigo), you guessed it, that has a white flower. What I do know is that Baptisia comes from the Greek root bapto, meaning to dip or immerse. When we think of indigo, we think of blue dye.
MADE WITH NATURAL MADE INK.
For this piece, I used traditional watercolor for the prairie background, and for the Wild Indigo plant, I used the buckthorn berry ink I made in October. I was amazed by the range of colors I could achieve from the ink, depending on the amount of water I added. Add more water, and the ink turned to a near-seafoam green. Add no water, and the ink is a deep, earthy blue.
Sadly, (Plains) Wild Indigo has been on the MN DNR Special Concern list since 1984 because of habitat loss due to agricultural land use. While not widely available in the gardening trade, wild indigo is a must-have plant for every garden. She’s on my list to add to my native garden.
ABOUT THIS PIECE: This original botanical watercolor with Buckthorn Berry Natural Ink, painted on 300 lb. Fabriano 100% Cotton Hotpress Paper. Original — in private collection.
Wild Indigo is available as a limited-edition print.
Wild Indigo makes a beautiful, striking presence, doesn’t she?
“Kristin’s artwork is a forest-bathing-like experience that delights the most curious mind and the most compassionate heart. She guides you through the precise intricacies of nature that we’ve somehow overlooked until now. Her work delivers a master class in paying attention.”
Explore Stories & Insights
Behind the Scenes in the Studio.
Natural found objects, good books, experimenting, and studies lead to progress, discoveries, and new directions. Aside from being outdoors and exploring nature, my studio is my favorite place to be and where it all happens. Come on in and be inspired.
ABOUT
Terra Kind Studio showcases the creative work of visual artist and designer Kristin Maija Peterson. Growing up among prairies, lakes, rivers, and oak savannas along with her project work with environmental organizations have collectively influenced her creative path. Kristin works in watercolor, graphite, color pencil, oil pastels, and pen and ink, interpreting in detail the beautiful chaos she finds in native wild spaces and its inhabitants who call these spaces home. Kristin sees all living creatures as kin and is always kind to spiders.
Contact
e: hello@terrakindstudio.com
p: 651 318 7100
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Be Kind to Everything That Lives.
