Her paintings depict locations and seasons familiar to many Minnesotans: golden grasses reflected in the still waters of Lake of the Isles in fall; long shadows of bare trees bending across an snow-covered hill in Lakewood Cemetery; Lake Superior sparkling against a hazy, pink, summer sky, interrupted only by an island of ruddy, flat rocks.

Wilson’s meticulous paint handling lends her landscapes a precious quietude. Drawing viewers inward, her paintings are reflections of the stillness of the landscape before them. The artist explains:

I paint the landscape I inhabit, hoping to convey optimism. Looking up into a tree, or out over a lake or field, I am moved by the scale of the earth and sky. While sometimes feeling small in a big world can be overwhelming, at other times it makes me feel wildly hopeful. This is why I focus on the small in the big picture. I paint the sky with a large brush, but the details are done with tiny brushes. For me, painting the details is a form of meditation. I can slowly appreciate the little things that make up this broad view.