Fall Leaves - SOLD

Acrylic on 9x12 canvas sheet
SOLD - prints available through Fine Art America

This was done for last weeks DPW challenge, which was for Fall/Autumn. And perhaps nothing else says Fall to me, than to see the color of the leaves. Here in New Jersey, the leaves are still green - our season won't change for another few weeks. But in upstate New York, the leaves have already started. Usually our peak viewing is around Columbus Day, but I think this year it will be later. If there is a peak at all, that is. The trees that have already changed, lost many of their leaves this past weekend with the wind & rain. Wind & rain, ugh. We've had more than enough of that in the Northeast this year.

But I have always enjoyed mother nature's display in the Northeast, and every year, I find one more outstanding tree somewhere -- that have colors galore, all ablaze. As a child, I can remember gathering "pretty leaves" on my way to & from school, as I always walked the blocks on foot. (yes, I know, through 10 feet of snow, barefoot, with 10 pounds of books in my arms -- isn't that what our parents said when we complained!). But I loved walking to/from school - I got to explore & see things close up. Various bugs, and trees, and leaves - it helped to define my neighborhood, and it setup boundaries for "my turf."

But I think it is the leaves I remember most. So many varieties, and shapes, and colors. I always wanted the pretty red leaf until I studied the multi-color ones. That totally changed what I tried to gather - now the goal was to find a leaf with the most colors in it! And my school friends who walked with me, they were doing the same.

Yes, Fall reminds me of school - and more specifically, grammar school. When things were so less complicated, and my biggest worry was stepping in dog droppings & carrying it into class on the bottom of my shoe! The boys really loved to make fun of us then!