Saturday, November 2, 2013

Autumn Sassafras Leaves

It has been fascinating to watch the gradual change of the leaves on the sassafras sapling that sits near my feeders and the bird bath.
Above is a sketch of the sapling created half on the tan book facing, half on smooth hot press watercolor paper in my sketchbook.

The leaves turned yellow after a couple of freezing nights and then revealed spots of red. On some leaves, red completely filled the space between veins, and on others, the red appeared as random smudges with no particular boundary. Observing the overnight changes was magical.
 
I also realized, I only noticed these details because I was watching for color so I could paint them!  We certainly take in our world differently when we see it through our artist eyes!

Visit my blog post on enjoying movement and surprise in watercolor in my "Fun with Fall Leaves" series at Vickie's Sketchbook.
To learn more about the how and why of autumn color visit:  Why Leaves Change Color 

4 comments:

  1. Hi Vickie … I so agree with you when you comment on how painting makes us look at little better at the natural world around us.

    Lovely leaf.

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  2. I love this Vickie, and also your comment that we notice so much more when we take time to sketch or paint. SO true...I'm loving the red stems on my yellow maple leaves!

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  3. This is so beautiful Vickie.

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  4. Your artwork is lovely. Adding details about the weather is an important observation.

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