State park holds special spot in art celebration

Saugatuck Dunes State Park in Laketown Township is a special place for the Land Conservancy of West Michigan and for artists Katie Edmiston and Kathy Mohl.

Both artists mixed their talent with brushes and oil paint to capture the natural spirit of the state park and will have their work displayed in the Land Conservancy’s “Preserved! Capturing West Michigan’s Enduring Places” exhibit in October. The Land Conservancy is celebrating 50 years of conservation and asked 16 artists to create art en plein air – in the open, outside — on the group’s protected lands throughout West Michigan.

Proceeds from artwork sales and donations made at the event will benefit the continued protection of West Michigan’s ecologically critical land. The event is 5:30- 9 p.m. Oct. 2 at LaFontsee Galleries, 1504 Plainfield Ave., NE, Grand Rapids.

The paintings will be for sale at the event.

For more information, click here.

A special place

Saugatuck Dunes State Park, 6575 138^th Ave., is a significant landmark in the history of the Land Conservancy.

Members of what was then called the Natural Areas Conservancy of West Michigan supported the addition and preservation of 300 acres in the state park almost 40 years ago.

“The volunteers worked with the community to influence the State of Michigan to dedicate money to purchase that property and have it added to Saugatuck Dunes State Park. They also worked to ensure the land was designated as a natural area so that it could not be developed,” said Marie Orttenburger, communication & outreach director of the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. The Saugatuck Dunes Natural Area was dedicated in 1988, and it was later renamed the “Patricia Birkholz Natural Area” in honor of the former state lawmaker who played a key role in its protection.

“It was an important first step, and its success launched the organization into an era of growth. In the years that followed, the Land Conservancy protected its first nature preserve, established an office, and hired its first employees,” she said.

The artists

The two artists tasked with painting the park for the 50^th anniversary event said the site is special to them.

Edmiston specifically requested to paint the state park for the Land Conservancy project.

“I visited Saugatuck Dunes and the city of Saugatuck for the first time 11 years ago and was immediately inspired by the landscape and beauty of the natural area,” said Edmiston who lives in Central Michigan.

She is impressed with the park’s diversity of plants and animals.

“From beautiful wildflowers to old-growth forest, to cacti, the park really has it all. This year I was particularly inspired by the ecology of dunes. More than one of my paintings will be focused on the beauty found in different areas of a dune ecological system, including the beach, foredune, and back dunes,” Edmiston said.

Mohl, who lives in Caledonia, has a passion for natural areas and unspoiled landscapes.

“Saugatuck Dunes State Park is one of my absolute favorite places to paint. The dramatic rolling dunes stretching into the distance, the wind-shaped trees and grasses leading to the shores of Lake Michigan create an endlessly inspiring landscape. I feel like I see a painting everywhere I look,” Mohl said.

“It is a place that continually challenges and inspires me as a plein air painter. My work is not simply about recording what a place looks like, I’m expressing how it feels,” she said. “When I’m at the Saugatuck Dunes State Park, I experience a sense of mystery and reverence for the environment. I hope my paintings convey that feeling and invite viewers to experience their own sense of connection to nature. … My work is not simply about recording what a place looks like, I’m expressing how it feels. When I’m at the Saugatuck Dunes State Park, I experience a sense of mystery and reverence for the environment.”

Mohl recalls her first visit to the park in 2017.

“After hiking the beach trail through the woods with all of my painting gear, I caught my first glimpse of the sparkling water through the trees. It felt like I discovered a place that was untouched by development. It was breathtaking. I’ve returned to paint there many times since then,” she said.

Painting challenges

Both artists noted the challenges of painting in the open air at a Lake Michigan park.

Edmiston said part of plein air painting sometimes includes interacting with and adapting to the natural wildlife in the area.

“A horde of sand flies descended on me in the early morning while completing a beach painting, so I improvised long pants out of my painting towel to keep myself from being swarmed. Later that day, I also had to swiftly pack up and relocate my easel after a sparrowhawk decided I had set up too close to her nest, and started divebombing me,” Edmiston said. “It’s all a part of the adventure!”

Mohl said changing weather conditions, including heat and wind, create challenges for outdoor painters.

“The shifting light can dramatically change the colors and overall feeling of a scene, requiring me to make decisions quickly. That constant interaction with nature is what makes plein air painting so rewarding for me. Ticks and sunburn are always a concern so I’m careful to dress appropriately and protect myself,” she said.

Other artists participating in “Preserved!” are:

Betsy Oneill, Carolyn Damstra, Cloe Hadley, Ellie Iorio, Jean Allemeier Boot, Justin Kellner, Kathleen Kalinowski, Kathy Mohl, Katie Edmiston, Lori McElrath Eslick, Lynn Anderson, Michael Pfleghaar, Sally Jenks, Spencer High and Yolanda Gonzalez.

Other Laketown locations

Overall, the Land Conservancy has 165 properties, 13,097 acres, 91 miles of shoreline and serves eight counties, according to its website.

In Laketown Township, the Land Conservancy protects four properties:

• Castle Park Nature Preserve – 5 acres and 400 feet of Lake Michigan Shoreline.
• Dune Pines Nature Preserve – 4574 S. Audubon St. 13 acres
• Huyser Farm Park – 4188 64^th St. 102 acres.
• Saugatuck Dunes State Park – 6575 138^th Ave. 1,000 acres