Connecting to Fall
When the calendar hits September, I’m usually in the depths of painting pine trees, ornaments, and snow. Instead, this year I felt like I needed to focus more on dedicating time to fall. This exercise was about connecting to the current season without rushing past it and straight towards another. This meant giving fall the proper credit it deserves and all the fun objects that encompass it.
For the last few months, I’ve been completing this challenge through small and simple watercolor paintings. I’ll set aside the time to complete these between assignments or after class just for fun and to ease my mind.
One day, I hope these paintings have a life outside of sitting on my desk, but for now that’s where they live. I’m thinking they might work well as stickers or paper collages– a subject I’d like to share more about later. I’ve always viewed watercolors as the easier, less stress version of my preferred medium. Watercolors have their own qualities that I sometimes prefer to oils. The choice depends on what the project entails and how much time I can dedicate to painting.
These small paintings have a similar theme, all very fall oriented. Pumpkins for fall traditions. An apple and pear for fall baking. Oak leaves and acorns for fall color. Each created at a different time throughout September and October.
While these are my current methods for connecting with fall, I hope you are finding ways to connect with the season and making up your own rules for how to accomplish them. This could be fall baking, road trips to find fall color, or displaying pumpkins on your outside steps. We all have our own fall traditions that bring us closer to the changing weather. Let’s savor fall and all that comes with it.
