A Touch of Autumn

I started detailing the trees ringing the pond this weekend, something I’ve been looking forward to doing since starting the sky. I would look down and see the area I’m working on now and think about how much fun it would be to do. I was right, I really enjoy painting trees, especially trees at the height of summer and just edging into fall. When I was thinking about what time of the year this mural should reflect, this was the season that seemed to offer the most. The colors of everything seem at their richest during this time of year. The summer growth hasn’t started to die back and there are some spectacular fall flowers that choose to bloom near summer’s end, like the wild aster and goldenrod. I’m starting to visualize what will be in the nearest foreground of the painting now, but it’s too soon. Once the tree line is finished, I need to concentrate on the pond. I already have the marshy clumps in place, merely as place-holders right now, so I keep the general layout the same as my study painting. The water of the pond will need to be the deep murky blue that our natural ponds have. It will also reflect the trees I’m working on now and may contain a water bird or two.

A word about the coloring contest. I was very pleased to see how many kids took part in the contest and what creativity they showed in their art. Judging was difficult, I wish everyone could win a prize, but even if you didn’t win a prize, you are still a winner in my book. Thank you for participating; who knows? maybe I will create a new coloring contest for next year, this one was so much fun.