Autumn Colors

I don't have a lot to show in the way of artwork, but the beauty of the season has me dazzeled so I will share instead, Nature's art, the luminosity of autumn as she shows us her true colors.

I have just finished a still life study with Gundula Jacobs,

I study with her once a week in the evenings and I do look forward to that time.

The hat

I am working on a new study of Magda this week and having only four days left to finish it, I hope I can do it justice. That I will save for the next post, but to give it a verbal preview, it is also a study with the colors of autumn.

Autumn sunrise

This week I heard a man say "Reality is far more beautiful than your imagination has led you to believe."

Here it is September, the nights are colder and the days shorter. We have had a lot of rain which the farmers are grateful for. Yesterday evening was a brilliant rainbow. Not to be repetitious, here it is in all its glory!

As nature renews itself every day, so must we, awakening to new life, striving to remain 

alert, present and aware. As the atelier draws to a close the end of this month, I am ever more grateful for having had the opportunity to focus on learning to paint, having daily, eight or more hours of studio time with no distractions. What a gift! 

I have chosen to do rounding studies and organic sketches like these grapes and the Chinese lanterns that grow in my neighbor's garden. I have done many cast studies, just rounding in the direction of the light to train my eyes, without actually painting the details. Here are a couple of examples. Ted has been very patient with me, and little by little I am becoming aware of the shape of the light.

As far as the living part of the blog goes, work on the house has progressed this month. Paul was here and worked on the oak floor downstairs, He sanded, repaired, patched (fine inlays) and finally finished it and it looks beautiful. I danced on it, as it was dry for the first time Friday! The generous windows face east over the terrace to the river and I can easily absorb myself in my work.