Today marks the autumnal equinox, and whether or not you like “Pumpkin Spice” everything, there’s something special about taking a moment to acknowledge a new season of the year.

Here in New England, the pumpkins are ripening, the pick-your-own apple orchards are hopping, and cooler nights are following days that are still bright and warm. If there is a perfect time of year, this might be it!

Yellow autumn sugar maple leaves and branches, viewed from underneath along the trunk of the tree

 

The trees are beginning to feel the chill. Leaves are just starting to change, now, and soon they’ll put on a show of color and fill the air with brilliant confetti on breezy days. The old grizzled sugar maple at the edge of our yard has decided to get a jump on things, scattering yellow and orange around its feet already, a few weeks before its buddies will be doing the same.

I confess to having a penchant for soft colors; grays and blues feature in a lot of my artwork – but nature’s fiery autumn flare has its own appeal. So although my latest painting is steeped in cool gray mist, the trees are dressed in their fall finest.

Maybe they’re a few weeks early. Maybe I’m just a little too eager to say goodbye to summer and hello to autumn. Or maybe we – and that old sugar maple – are right on time.

"Trees in a Misty Autumn Forest" -- Acrylic on Canvas

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *