Plum Lake: the Story Behind the Painting

I have always been enamored with the idea of being “up north.” As a kid, when I outgrew my childhood Sesame Street themed bedroom, Big Bird was replaced with moose, pine trees, and loons. To be up north meant adventure and being surrounded by peaceful nature. 

One of our favorite places to camp was the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest in northern Wisconsin. Here, you are lulled to sleep by loon calls on the many lakes and awoken by beautiful birds that can only be found deep in the forest.

Lots of memories come from this place. Like the time my dad led us on what would become an all-day trek to find a one-mile nature trail (apparently on the other side of the state forest, though it didn’t look that far away on the map). Or the peat bog tour led by a long-haired hippie who showed us his coffee table book called Bodies in the Bog, which describes the natural mummification properties of peat moss (with photos).

A couple summers ago, we returned to the forest for a weekend getaway. We chose a campground further away from the peat bog this time, called Plum Lake. This is a quiet, rustic campground on the wooded shores of the crystal-clear Plum Lake. 

The lake was so calm that it reflected the stars at night, which inspired my nighttime painting. 

I chose to paint a more picturesque tent than our old Coleman.

A great feature of the state forest is the paved bike trail that weaves through the woods, past the shores of several lakes, and eventually leads to the quaint town of Boulder Junction, where I bought a handmade ceramic moose mug to add to my “up north” collection.

We roasted marshmallows over a crackling fire, listening to the cries of the loon, as well as the startlingly nearby cries of a pack of wolves. 

I hope my Plum Lake painting takes you back to your favorite forests where you camped under the stars.