"Great Blue Heron" by Rena Brouwer Carroll County watercolorist Rena Brouwer was one of 15 select Indiana artists to take part in the juried art show "Preserving Nature" at the Artsgarden in Indianapolis on Saturday.

Each of the artists entered two paintings. Five awards were given. Brouwer's watercolor, "Great Blue Heron," won "The Jeanne H. Gammage Award for Outstanding Study Watercolor/ Acrylic."

The show was the culmination of a project initiated by Central Indiana Land Trust Inc. (CILTI) a little more than a year ago, bringing together conservationists and nature artists. Project coordinator Eric Mac- Dougall began a search for the state's finest landscape artists. Starting with a group of 150 artists, a selection jurist narrowed the field to 15.

"We submitted a short essay on why we were interested, along with examples of our work," Brouwer said.

The five artists who produced the 2000 book, "Painting Indiana, Portraits of Indiana's 92 Counties," were invited to be included in the 15. Brouwer became one of the other chosen 10.

The artists had a year to visit CILTI's nature preserves and interpret and paint what they saw. CILTI volunteers were available to serve as guides and resources.

Painting along the Wildcat Rena Brouwer paints watercolors inspired by wildlife, nature's bounty, and Wildcat Creek. She and 14 other professional artists were selected to paint scenes on central Indiana nature preserves as a way of calling attention to the areas' beauty and need for protection. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald The media for the project included oil, acrylic, watercolor, and pastel. The paintings were to be landscapes or more specific studies of nature, such as wildflowers, birds, insects, etc. No more than two artists were to paint the same subject.

One of the places Brouwer visited was the Millard Sutton/ Amos W. Butler Audubon Sanctuary in Johnson County.

"This is a protected rookery of great blue herons that number 400-plus," she said. "Greg Oskay was the steward who guided me about this land. His knowledge of plants, insects and birds was extensive. I arrived at this site just after the herons had migrated. From Greg's narrative of his personal experiences at the site and mine with herons on my Wildcat Creek home front, I created a tribute to this magnificent bird in my studio. I had painted numerous sketches on site from repeated visits."

Brouwer created many preliminary paintings from the sites before settling on the final two for the show.

The other painting she entered was from Burr Oak Bend in Hamilton County.

"There was a native plant specialist there on the day I visited," Brouwer said. "It was a rainy fall day. She was walking among the native cone flowers in her bright yellow rain slicker. The color was striking, and I was taken in with the thought of how well she became one with the wildflowers and the cheerfulness on such a dreary day."

Brouwer said she visited Mossy Point Nature Preserve in Parke County several times.

"I painted soaring eagles and deer crashing through the woods," she said. "There are beautiful Hemlock trees there and many interesting plant species."

At the newly acquired Hajji Hollow in Parke County, Brouwer said she saw a badger den, a beautiful babbling brook over sandstone, and hardwoods.

"I did a painting of acorns. Greg had showed me how to make a whistle out of the hats of the acorns," she said.

The CILTI project gave Brouwer another opportunity to explore her love of nature through painting.

"My husband and I chose to live where we do, along the Wildcat, among woods and habitat friendly to wildlife," Brouwer said. "Having the opportunity to be included in his project broadened my appreciation, specifically, to those who give their time and physical efforts to retain native habitat in the state. As an artist, observation is a key element to rendering art. I must say, the stewards sharpened my skills even more with their insight and knowledge of the habitat. They broadened my artistic endeavors with endless inspiration."

"The Preserving Nature Art Exhibit is a wonderful opportunity for the residents of central Indiana to see the natural beauty that is right here in their own back yards," MacDougall said. "The artists have done a fantastic job of portraying the beauty and diversity of the natural areas preserved by the Central Indiana Land Trust."

Following the gala opening of the exhibit last Saturday, the paintings remain on display to the public for free viewing at the Artsgarden in downtown Indianapolis through April 30. Then the exhibit will travel to various public venues over the next two months. Some of these places are Franklin College, Noblesville, Zionsville, Carmel, and Nashville. At the conclusion of the tour, there will be a two-day sale of the paintings, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Central Indiana Land Trust.

For a complete list of the participating artists, details of the tour schedule, or more information on CILTI, visit www.cilti.org.