Autumn, The Season Of Gold And Fire.
Autumn, The Season Of Gold And Fire.
All seasons are important, not only for all nature of course, but specifically for me and my painting. For change is the most exciting thing if your a landscape painter, and no time shows a greater change upon the fields and woods then the passing of the seasons. And Autumn, well I must say its my most enjoyed and recorded of them all.
Autumn has always felt like my busiest month, closely followed by spring!
But whereas Spring feels more like a mad dash, all excitement and urgency, Autumn feels more like a lengthy exhale. Everything begins to slowly unravel, the air cools and the light begins to soften almost. It doesn't diminish, nor loose its potency, it just seems to gather everything together somehow? This low sitting light combines so beautifully with the leaves as they begin to age and turn to rusty reds and oranges, it all becomes a wonderful show of harmony and unity. I find it a huge comfort, sitting amongst it all that this amazing world knows what its doing, seemingly better then we do.
No its a different sort of busyness Autumn, its busy because I don't want to miss any of it!
Maybe its the light that seems to inspire most then? Its certainly the most critical element I look for whenever I am out painting. It doesn't have to be intense, just atmospheric. Autumn is also, and very easily the most photogenic, and photographed season. I think even those with very little interest in the landscape end up snapping pics on their phones of the trees ablaze with colour, the light streaking through them as they slowly undress. Paths become trails of fallen debris, bracken and hedges thin allowing you to see further then before. Trees sometimes steam in the early morning, the sun warming the damp bark to create a hazy mist, this serving to emphasize the glowing light even further. You can often see a sky of gold in the early mornings, and a sombre quiet fire in the evenings.
The landscape begins its last show, its tired by Autumn I always think. The year growing older, the dark of winter soon to envelope it all! It does make for a glorious image, whether its a photograph or a painting.
Everything somehow becomes more honest in Autumn. The trees lose their show off appearance of summer brightness, and they seemingly settle into a more thoughtful stillness. Its this moment of stillness, of almost pausing that I enjoy hugely. It never stands still, nature will never do that. But its like the landscape just hesitates a moment. The sky changes as well, we have noticed already how the light changes, but have you noticed the sky? It becomes almost thinner? The rare blue days seem lighter, a tonal shift from the scorch of the Summer. The air becomes sharper, the cold creeping in. And the clouds seem to grow in stature, puffing out their chests to try and impose a greater presence on the barren and ever shrinking landscape below. Yes the world seems more honest in the Autumn somehow, the landscape seems closer to its truest and purest, an all encompassing display of light colour and great imposing skies! What a show it puts on for us all!
Till next time
AViner