Seasons

Autumn Appreciation

Art, Life Balance, watercolor
Autumn Woodland 14”x20”

After an unexpected allergic reaction from a bald-faced hornet sting, I feel fortunate to experience another autumn season. As woodland creatures prepare for the winter by caching food and planning for shelter, I start to wonder if the old wives’ tales told to predict winter will prove true this time. If so, we might be in for a good one. And, by good I mean power outages and lots of shoveling. 

But now, the calm before the storm. A near autumn-peak woodland. Deciduous trees will soon lay down their leaves to reveal naked branches, as they curve and twist this way and that way. The decaying leaves will soon provide nourishment to the naked figures, and an insulated vessel for overwintering insects. The systems at work, even during what appears to be dormancy, are complex and wonderful.

2022 Watercolor Calendar

Art, watercolor

This is the tenth year that I’ve been compiling my watercolor paintings from the previous year and incorporating them into the upcoming year’s calendar. The calendars are a big hit with family and friends and I really enjoy handing them out during the holidays. I do have a couple left over this year (available for sale on Etsy). Below are the images included in this year’s calendar.

Cover

Winter Shadows and Copper Leaves – Watercolor 14”x 20”

Art, Outdoor Adventure, plants, watercolor

Shadows can be most dramatic in contrast with snow. It is one of my favorite subjects to paint. The copper colored leaves still cling to young Beech and Oak trees all winter long. This phenomenon is called marcescence. There are a few ideas why trees may hold on to their leaves through the winter.

One idea is that Beech and Oak were once evergreen trees and are still evolving into deciduous species. Other ideas suggest that the leaves are used as insulation and nutrients as they drop around the trees closer to spring time. To the observer and artist, it certainly provides interesting subject matter for winter scenes!

Prints and originals available on Etsy.

Kids Playing Outside – Watercolor 10×14”

Art, Outdoor Adventure, watercolor

Kids Playing Outside w/c 10×14”

Sometimes inspiration comes from a photo taken by your sister-in-law. I’m not sure what about the photo inspired me, but for some reason I just wanted to paint it. It’s great to see kids playing outside. The cold northeastern weather doesn’t seem to bother them. They are happy and curious exploring the streets of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania with their parents.

Annual Sunflower (watercolor 10×14”)

Art, plants, watercolor

Annual Sunflower

Helianthus annuus – the annual sunflower. Bright like the sun with its radiant yellow petals surrounding a giant disc. We plant the seed every year waiting for it to sprout, with childlike excitement, until finally the plant grows into a towering beast. Birds love to feast on the sunflower’s seeds and perch on it’s strong limbs. We too enjoy it’s oil, seeds, and the many horticultural pleasures it brings. Oh yeah, the bumblebees think it’s okay too.