High Foredunes in Winter, Illinois Beach State Park, by Tom Smith

Tom Smith:
volunteers and watercolors
As stewardship coordinator for the Lake County Forest Preserves over the past two decades, Tom Smith has organized more than 2,700 volunteers each year to restore some of the most diverse natural areas in Illinois. But the 52-year-old naturalist, who resides in Winthrop Harbor, has yet another way of helping others learn about bogs, dunes, prairies, and savannas: his watercolor paintings. [see story and samples]

From Bunker Hill Woods, by Diane Aoki

Diane Aoki:
woman with the sketchbook
Some 50 journals fill the shelves in Diane Aoki's Chicago apartment. Amid her written thoughts on life in general are hundreds of vivid pencil-and-watercolor illustrations of nature, a record of more than 20 years of exploration. [see story and samples]

Middlefork Savanna — Golden Poplars, by Bart Bemus

Bart Bemus: intimate landscapes
When he first arrived in Chicago, oil painter Bart Bemus wasn't sure where to find his subject matter. Friends were unable to guide him to area nature preserves, so he studied maps and took long drives. Before long, though, Bemus discovered Chicago WILDERNESS. Today, the magazine is his guide to what often appears on his canvas. [see story and samples]