‘Tallgrass Prairie Warrior ~ American Kestrel,’ copyright Susan A. Walton

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In this piece I was trying to capture the essence of wind on the prairie by depicting an American kestrel, feathers tussled, making a meal of a large grasshopper (Schistocerca obscura, also known as the Obscure Bird Grasshopper) while perched on a cedar stump surrounded by fluttering grass blades and the nodding blossoms of midwestern prairie plants.

There is not much prairie left, but remnant bits and pieces can be found along railroad right of ways, though often slowly being overcome by advancing trees.

This species of grasshopper prefers open woodlands, and I reversed the situation in this painting, depicting prairie plants growing around the stump of an old lightning-killed Eastern cedar tree, because unless controlled by fire, these junipers (they aren’t true cedars) will spring up everywhere and forest will soon follow.

Where fire is used to restore prairie, the flowers will amaze you. In ancient times right up to colonial times, Native Americans would set fire to immense tracts of land if it became overgrown to create meadows and prairie for game animals to forage. Prairie grasses are high in protein and herds would come from miles around to take advantage of the new growth.

Included here are the tall compass plants that thrive on the American Bottoms next to the railroad tracks and in a few other places the plow has never reached, and the shorter tickseed that is so prolific it can turn acres at a time to a bright, rich yellow. Compass plants get their name from their basal leaves’ growth habit of pointing north and south. It was also used as a sort of chewing gum by indigenous people in its range.

I also added ironweed, which blooms at the same time and is a welcome break from the dominant yellows. Also visible is a type of delicate white wild aster that grows in many places and whose flowers have a scent just like hot buttered popcorn.

In the case of the original painting I opted to use acrylic in the style of traditional watercolors, relying on the cotton substrate to reflect light back up through washes of color and give the piece a light and airy feeling, in order to give the viewer the same sense of movement and freedom as a little falcon on a breezy day.

#Prairie #Kestrel #BirdOfPrey #CompassPlant #Ironweed #AmericanKestrel