Audio Description: Nature's Treasures by Elizabeth Wallsmith
Press play and discover Elizabeth Wallsmith's painting Nature's Treasures. Hear a detailed description of the artwork, descriptions of the colors and forms in the painting, and how the artist made the work. (Closed captions available on video.)
Nature's Treasures, Elizabeth Wallsmith, 2021, Acrylic Exterior Paint on Concrete
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Nature’s Treasures by Elizabeth Wallsmith is a mural spanning two, four-sided buildings located in a grassy lawn in Neosho’s historic Scenic Park. The mural's style resembles a completed coloring book. It was installed in 2021 - the same year as the Missouri Bicentennial - and features colorful flora and fauna of the city of Neosho and the state of Missouri filling the white walls of both buildings.
The buildings are situated in a right angle to each other with playground equipment to the north and west. Both buildings have painted, dark green edging around the roofs. The bottom of the walls are lined with thick blades of light and dark green grass. The buildings' doors and door frames are a bright white. Both buildings are rectangular: the first building described is 20 feet by 10 feet and the walls are 7 feet tall and the second building is 8 feet x 17 feet and the walls are 8.5 feet tall.
The northernmost building is made of cinder blocks. Facing that building's north-facing wall, there is a door on the left side and a door just left of the wall's center. On each side of the central door is a dogwood tree with open pink blossoms and a blue jay perched on the tip of an outer branch. Under the left dogwood tree, there are small, blue wildflower buds and blossoms peeking from the grass. Under the right dogwood tree, are the same shape and placement of wild buds and flowers except these are a yellow hue. We see the same shape and mix of wildflowers to the left of the side door, except the buds and blossoms are a deep purple and appear on a light green vine that trails up the wall. Traveling back to the right of the yellow wildflowers, we see red-orange Gaillardia (also known as blanket flowers) with yellow tips peeking out of the grass with a blue dragonfly perched on one of their leaves. Above the Gaillardia, we see oversized, dark-purple Spiderwort flowers standing from in the grass to the top of the wall. Continuing to move right, we see a Swamp Milkweed bush with many clusters of tiny pink buds and a light blue and black butterfly perched on top. Four green beetles are scattered throughout the grass. A cluster of oversized blooms - fuschia cone flowers, white daisies, and light yellow Hepatica or Liverleaf fill the rest of the right side of the wall. The oversized Liverleaf blooms wrapping around to the west wall.
The west wall has a door in the middle with the oversized Hepatica filling the majority of the wall to the left, except for a blooming Blue Sage plant in the lower left corner above the grass. The right side of the wall features a cluster of Blue Star Flowers. Next to it are scarlet Bee Balm flowers and above grape vines - both of which wrap around the corner to the southern wall.
Facing the southern wall and starting at the left side, a green hummingbird with a red throat drinks from scarlet bee balms that are nestled under the red grape vines heavy with fruit painted purple. To the right, we see a large pink dogwood tree full of buds and blossoms - an Eastern Bluebird, the official state bird, roosts on its upper right branch. The blue bird is painted a brilliant blue except its breast which is a warm red-brown. Continuing right, we see three downward facing Martagon Lily blossoms in deep magenta in various stages of flowering, the open blooms have strongly recurved petals and are surrounded by unopened buds. Beside the lilies, is a cluster of magenta New England Aster with large, bright yellow centers growing from behind the grass and continuing to the top of the wall. In the grass below, is the state reptile - a three-toed box turtle, peering out from the grass. It has a high-domed shell of brown with yellow lines, its body covered in tan scales. Its front legs and head are fully out, its face turned to the right showing one eye open. Continuing right is a cluster of small, dark yellow wildflowers. Above we see a large blue dragonfly flying with colorful wings of red, orange, pink, and light through dark blue. To the right is a Smooth Spiderwort plant with green stems and deep blue buds and flowers open with three, triangular petals. Tightly packed violets are in the bottom right corner next to a flowering pink dogwood tree which wraps around the corner to the west wall.
On the left side of the west wall - the last wall of this building - we see a small Eastern Gray Squirrel climbing the trunk of the Dogwood tree that has wrapped around from the previous side. Pale blue Morning Glory blooms with small yellow centers are seen rising out of the grass and traveling right. They lead to blossomed, plum colored Calibrachoa that are clustered at the center of this panel. Two butterflies soar above them - one with wings of red, yellow, and orange on the left and one with wings of various purples to the right and higher flying in front of leaves that hang down from the top of the wall. Continuing right, yellow Black Eyed Susans with dark brown, cone shaped centers are open with two round, yellow and black striped bees around them - one buzzing around, another resting on a flower's center. These bees most likely representing Missouri's state insect the Western Honeybee. Between the Calibrachoa and the Black Eyed Susans, there are three light green stalks full of purple buds. Nestled in the grass to the right of the purple buds and under the Black Eyed Susans sits a large, green American Bullfrog - the Missouri State Amphibian - looking out of the grass with two, yellow eyes on top of its wide head. On the right end of this wall, a few red lady bugs are crawling up a green leafy vine.
The second building sits to the south at a right angle. It’s made of smooth concrete. The north facing wall features four bees buzzing around a red rose bush - the buds in various stages of blooming. They call to mind the rose bushes that are staple of Neosho’s Big Spring Park.
Turning the corner to the right, the west facing wall is alive with flowers and butterflies. Framing the top two corners, we see open red roses. They are featured more in the bottom left corner where two buds and a large open rose has a big blue and orange butterfly resting on its bloom and a green caterpillar crawling on a leaf. Above that are purple Dame’s Rocket flowers each with four squared petals. A blue butterfly with yellow spots carries us through some soon to open purple buds and leads us to a cluster of Blue Flax flowers. These flowers are a buzz with two other patterned butterflies: one orange and yellow and the other purple and pink. Below them is the most prominent feature of this wall - a large colorful butterfly. Its wings are decorated with stripes and curves of purple, blue, orange, red, and pink. At the end of the wall on the right are large yellow coneflowers.
Continuing around the building to the south wall, a door is in the middle of two flowering dogwood trees. Both trees' top branches, teeming with pink buds and open blossoms, grow to the right. The left tree's growing into the wall space above the door and the right's onto the east and final wall of the second building.
On the east wall, we see two green, closed shutters. These shutters are equidistant from the center of the wall with a decorated gap between and on each outer side. They are positioned about the top half of the mural. On the left we see the dogwood branches flowing over from the previous wall, an Eastern Bluebird perched on the top outermost twig. Below the branches and under the left shutter, yellow Roundleaf Groundsel grows from the grass. Continuing right we see several open red roses and soon to open buds. One rose has grown up between the two shutters, a blue and yellow spotted butterfly sitting atop it. Continuing up between and above both shutters are orange Western Wallflowers surrounding a red cardinal sitting profile on a branch. The right side of the wall is covered with deep purple wildflowers that wrap below the right shutter. A bee hovers above the center of the tallest flower.
Dogwood trees are a prominent feature of the mural representing both the Missouri State Tree and Neosho's annual Dogwood Tour. In 1961, the Rotary Club initiated the Neosho Dogwood Tour which has brought thousands of guests to town to enjoy the tree's spring blooms. The vines of purple grapes in the piece are symbolic of Hermann Jaeger, a Swiss immigrant, who settled 6 miles east of Neosho in 1865. His vineyard and work with native grapes helped save the French wine industry when it was devastated by disease in the 1870's.
The buildings are situated in a right angle to each other with playground equipment to the north and west. Both buildings have painted, dark green edging around the roofs. The bottom of the walls are lined with thick blades of light and dark green grass. The buildings' doors and door frames are a bright white. Both buildings are rectangular: the first building described is 20 feet by 10 feet and the walls are 7 feet tall and the second building is 8 feet x 17 feet and the walls are 8.5 feet tall.
The northernmost building is made of cinder blocks. Facing that building's north-facing wall, there is a door on the left side and a door just left of the wall's center. On each side of the central door is a dogwood tree with open pink blossoms and a blue jay perched on the tip of an outer branch. Under the left dogwood tree, there are small, blue wildflower buds and blossoms peeking from the grass. Under the right dogwood tree, are the same shape and placement of wild buds and flowers except these are a yellow hue. We see the same shape and mix of wildflowers to the left of the side door, except the buds and blossoms are a deep purple and appear on a light green vine that trails up the wall. Traveling back to the right of the yellow wildflowers, we see red-orange Gaillardia (also known as blanket flowers) with yellow tips peeking out of the grass with a blue dragonfly perched on one of their leaves. Above the Gaillardia, we see oversized, dark-purple Spiderwort flowers standing from in the grass to the top of the wall. Continuing to move right, we see a Swamp Milkweed bush with many clusters of tiny pink buds and a light blue and black butterfly perched on top. Four green beetles are scattered throughout the grass. A cluster of oversized blooms - fuschia cone flowers, white daisies, and light yellow Hepatica or Liverleaf fill the rest of the right side of the wall. The oversized Liverleaf blooms wrapping around to the west wall.
The west wall has a door in the middle with the oversized Hepatica filling the majority of the wall to the left, except for a blooming Blue Sage plant in the lower left corner above the grass. The right side of the wall features a cluster of Blue Star Flowers. Next to it are scarlet Bee Balm flowers and above grape vines - both of which wrap around the corner to the southern wall.
Facing the southern wall and starting at the left side, a green hummingbird with a red throat drinks from scarlet bee balms that are nestled under the red grape vines heavy with fruit painted purple. To the right, we see a large pink dogwood tree full of buds and blossoms - an Eastern Bluebird, the official state bird, roosts on its upper right branch. The blue bird is painted a brilliant blue except its breast which is a warm red-brown. Continuing right, we see three downward facing Martagon Lily blossoms in deep magenta in various stages of flowering, the open blooms have strongly recurved petals and are surrounded by unopened buds. Beside the lilies, is a cluster of magenta New England Aster with large, bright yellow centers growing from behind the grass and continuing to the top of the wall. In the grass below, is the state reptile - a three-toed box turtle, peering out from the grass. It has a high-domed shell of brown with yellow lines, its body covered in tan scales. Its front legs and head are fully out, its face turned to the right showing one eye open. Continuing right is a cluster of small, dark yellow wildflowers. Above we see a large blue dragonfly flying with colorful wings of red, orange, pink, and light through dark blue. To the right is a Smooth Spiderwort plant with green stems and deep blue buds and flowers open with three, triangular petals. Tightly packed violets are in the bottom right corner next to a flowering pink dogwood tree which wraps around the corner to the west wall.
On the left side of the west wall - the last wall of this building - we see a small Eastern Gray Squirrel climbing the trunk of the Dogwood tree that has wrapped around from the previous side. Pale blue Morning Glory blooms with small yellow centers are seen rising out of the grass and traveling right. They lead to blossomed, plum colored Calibrachoa that are clustered at the center of this panel. Two butterflies soar above them - one with wings of red, yellow, and orange on the left and one with wings of various purples to the right and higher flying in front of leaves that hang down from the top of the wall. Continuing right, yellow Black Eyed Susans with dark brown, cone shaped centers are open with two round, yellow and black striped bees around them - one buzzing around, another resting on a flower's center. These bees most likely representing Missouri's state insect the Western Honeybee. Between the Calibrachoa and the Black Eyed Susans, there are three light green stalks full of purple buds. Nestled in the grass to the right of the purple buds and under the Black Eyed Susans sits a large, green American Bullfrog - the Missouri State Amphibian - looking out of the grass with two, yellow eyes on top of its wide head. On the right end of this wall, a few red lady bugs are crawling up a green leafy vine.
The second building sits to the south at a right angle. It’s made of smooth concrete. The north facing wall features four bees buzzing around a red rose bush - the buds in various stages of blooming. They call to mind the rose bushes that are staple of Neosho’s Big Spring Park.
Turning the corner to the right, the west facing wall is alive with flowers and butterflies. Framing the top two corners, we see open red roses. They are featured more in the bottom left corner where two buds and a large open rose has a big blue and orange butterfly resting on its bloom and a green caterpillar crawling on a leaf. Above that are purple Dame’s Rocket flowers each with four squared petals. A blue butterfly with yellow spots carries us through some soon to open purple buds and leads us to a cluster of Blue Flax flowers. These flowers are a buzz with two other patterned butterflies: one orange and yellow and the other purple and pink. Below them is the most prominent feature of this wall - a large colorful butterfly. Its wings are decorated with stripes and curves of purple, blue, orange, red, and pink. At the end of the wall on the right are large yellow coneflowers.
Continuing around the building to the south wall, a door is in the middle of two flowering dogwood trees. Both trees' top branches, teeming with pink buds and open blossoms, grow to the right. The left tree's growing into the wall space above the door and the right's onto the east and final wall of the second building.
On the east wall, we see two green, closed shutters. These shutters are equidistant from the center of the wall with a decorated gap between and on each outer side. They are positioned about the top half of the mural. On the left we see the dogwood branches flowing over from the previous wall, an Eastern Bluebird perched on the top outermost twig. Below the branches and under the left shutter, yellow Roundleaf Groundsel grows from the grass. Continuing right we see several open red roses and soon to open buds. One rose has grown up between the two shutters, a blue and yellow spotted butterfly sitting atop it. Continuing up between and above both shutters are orange Western Wallflowers surrounding a red cardinal sitting profile on a branch. The right side of the wall is covered with deep purple wildflowers that wrap below the right shutter. A bee hovers above the center of the tallest flower.
Dogwood trees are a prominent feature of the mural representing both the Missouri State Tree and Neosho's annual Dogwood Tour. In 1961, the Rotary Club initiated the Neosho Dogwood Tour which has brought thousands of guests to town to enjoy the tree's spring blooms. The vines of purple grapes in the piece are symbolic of Hermann Jaeger, a Swiss immigrant, who settled 6 miles east of Neosho in 1865. His vineyard and work with native grapes helped save the French wine industry when it was devastated by disease in the 1870's.
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Mural Location
Scenic Park
1500 N. Main Avenue
Neosho, MO 64850
A dog park, children's playground, and baseball field are also at this location.
1500 N. Main Avenue
Neosho, MO 64850
A dog park, children's playground, and baseball field are also at this location.
Additional Content
Creating Nature's Treasures
Neosho Arts Council sponsored the creation of a mural in Neosho's historic Scenic Park. "Nature's Treasurers" was painted in the summer of 2021 by area artist Elizabeth Wallsmith. It is one mural that wraps completely around two buildings. The mural's installation coincided with the Missouri Bicentennial. It features symbols of both Neosho and the state of Missouri.
Neosho has been known as the "Flower Box City" since the 1950's and was the inspiration for the flowers seen in the mural. The roses were inspired by the rose bushes in Big Spring Park while native cone flowers speak to the prairies of the area. Pink Flowering Dogwood trees are a prominent feature of the mural as they represent both the Missouri State Tree but also Neosho's annual Dogwood Tour. In 1961 the Rotary Club initiated the Neosho Dogwood Tour which has brought thousands of guests to town to enjoy the tree's spring blooms.
Bunches of grapes remind viewers of Herman Jaeger, a Swiss immigrant, who settled 6 miles east of Neosho in 1865. His vineyard and work with native grapes helped save the French wine industry which was devastated by disease in the 1870's.
The Missouri state bird, Easter bluebird; insect, the honey bee; reptile, three-toed box turtle; and amphibian, American bullfrog are all included in the mural. Plus a variety of other insects, birds, and plants all found in our area.
Neosho has been known as the "Flower Box City" since the 1950's and was the inspiration for the flowers seen in the mural. The roses were inspired by the rose bushes in Big Spring Park while native cone flowers speak to the prairies of the area. Pink Flowering Dogwood trees are a prominent feature of the mural as they represent both the Missouri State Tree but also Neosho's annual Dogwood Tour. In 1961 the Rotary Club initiated the Neosho Dogwood Tour which has brought thousands of guests to town to enjoy the tree's spring blooms.
Bunches of grapes remind viewers of Herman Jaeger, a Swiss immigrant, who settled 6 miles east of Neosho in 1865. His vineyard and work with native grapes helped save the French wine industry which was devastated by disease in the 1870's.
The Missouri state bird, Easter bluebird; insect, the honey bee; reptile, three-toed box turtle; and amphibian, American bullfrog are all included in the mural. Plus a variety of other insects, birds, and plants all found in our area.