Blooming Prairie Proud: Local artist uses talents for a good cause

Krisi Lillie, of Blooming Prairie, is using her paintbrushes to help fight cancer. 
The local artist is currently selling limited edition prints, featuring Blooming Prairie’s iconic water tower, and proceeds will help benefit the Blooming Prairie Cancer Group. 
Lillie says that she donated a painting to the Blooming Prairie Cancer Auction last year, but wanted to do even more this year. “Hopefully, I will bring in more to help their fundraising efforts,” she said. “I’ve had a pretty good response so far, which is exciting to see.” 
The water tower, said Lillie, came to mind immediately when she began to consider subjects for the special project. “There’s just something about the water tower that resonates with people in Blooming Prairie,” Lillie said. 
The painting is watercolor and ink on cotton paper, complete with a 16x12” white mat, which fits well inside a store-bought frame. Each print is numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity. There are two options to choose from, “Blooming Prairie Proud” (a more contemporary painting, featuring splashes of blue and purple) and “Blooming Prairie Proud 2” (a more traditional watercolor styled painting, showing a full view of the tower, including grass and sky.) 15 percent of all proceeds will benefit the Blooming Prairie Cancer Group. 
“I chose the Blooming Prairie Cancer Group for the proceeds because, not only do they donate large amounts of money for cancer research, but they also help local people through the community fund, which is an idea that’s just genius,” said Lillie. The Community Fund is used to help local people who have been touched by cancer.
Lillie said that she’s been creating artwork ever since she was able to hold a pencil, and was especially inspired by her grandfather, Pete Knowlton, who was a wonderful artist. Lillie has only been painting watercolors, however, for the past three years. “I’m making up for lost time,” Lillie said, with a laugh. “It’s a really fun medium to use.” She enjoys painting streetscapes, cityscapes, flowers, urban scenes and much more. 
“I enjoy it a lot,” she said. “I think it’s really important to use your skill or talent to help other people in some small way.” 
The paintings are available at several Blooming Prairie businesses, including Krejci Ford, Sportstitch, Main Street Dental, U.S. Bank, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Johnson & Doerhoefer, A Touch of Charm and The Pizza Cellar. They can also be purchased directly from Lillie’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/KrisiLillieArt. Lillie is even willing to mail the paintings to art enthusiasts who may live out of town.  Lillie said she appreciates everyone who purchases the paintings because they are making a contribution to a great cause. She also appreciates the help of people who have worked to spread the word about the project, including Connie Trom. 
Lillie also hopes to set up a booth at the Sept. 11 and 12 Cancer Auction. The event will take place on both Friday, Sept. 11, and Saturday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. outside Blooming Prairie’s The Cue Company.