“Hey, there,” a Mark Watney (The Martian) moment, I get spotting tiny green shoots, bravely reaching toward the sun.
That’s how I became inspired by these tiny green shoots emerging from a tangle of seasons’ past dried prairie grasses. (Green shoot species still unknown. I’m in research mode to find out — and no, it’s not milkweed like I thought.)
Experiencing how marginalized we make wildlife.
Back in 2018-19, we rented a townhome where a ribbon of wetland-protected area weaved through suburban development. I spent time exploring this space and found plenty of wonders for my artwork there.
It was amazing the variety of flora and fauna that such a small corridor supported. Fox, wild turkey, ducks, baby bunnies (cute, precocious bunnies everywhere!), red-wing blackbirds, hawks, goldfinch, and even otters!
Then there were the masses of wildflowers. Bees balm, goldenrod, asters, daisies, black-eyed Susans, mixing it up with tall prairie grasses.
Prairie Grasses, Soil, and a Painting’s Backstory
In part, it’s about childhood memories hiking through old pastures, moraine glacier hills, and grasslands in west central Minnesota with my dad and younger brother in search of adventures.
Walking on top of a thick carpet of dried grasses, I could feel the energy from below. What appeared dried and dead on the surface is very much alive and well through evidence presented by freshly dug pocket gopher mounds. The soil was jet black and had that sweet, vibrant smell gardeners love.
Just how important is healthy soil?
As people become more aware of the carbon sequestration capabilities of healthy soil (soil can sequester carbon more efficiently and effectively than trees), they are turning their lawns into native gardens. We can’t grow trees everywhere, but we most likely have soil we can tend to, restore, and plant as nature intended.
SIDE BAR: The watercolor painting, I Will Wait For You Forever, is also inspired by the same wetland-protected area.
The prairie grasses have a cycle that keeps the earth running. In life, their long root systems hold the soil from erosion while filtering rainwater before it arrives in lakes, rivers, and streams. In death, they return to nurture the soil that fed them through life.
I even added soil to the watercolor painting. Grinding it down to a fine powder and mixing it with a bit of water and gum Arabic as a binder, I found that when the soil dried, it left interesting patterns and provided an old barn wood quality. (You’re grinning and thinking, “Yeah, Kristin, that’s called mud.”)
If you’d like to learn more about the power of healthy soil, check out the Netflix documentary “Kiss the Ground” (2020) narrated by Woody Harrelson. So good.
Special note: The Story of Soil is part of a new artworks collection, part of Tiny Universes Everywhere, an exhibit at Silverwood Park Gallery in St. Anthony, Minnesota, from August 14th through September 30th, 2025. Sign up for my newsletter “Nature Calls” to stay in the loop about exhibit openings, new artwork, and special offers in the shop.
Your Turn.
Where do you find inspiration for your creativity? Jot your thoughts in the comments. I respond to all. Till next time, be kind to everything that lives and especially be kind to yourself.
