River of Golden Aspen, near Gunnison CO
See this watercolor painting at my Art Show, Oct. 3-30, 2017
Bell Art Room, Winona Public Library, Winona, MN.
Part 1. Fall Has Begun
Fall has begun here in Minnesota. Seemingly overnight the maples display yellow patches amongst fading summer green foliage, even up into the tallest reaches of the trees. A crisp fall breeze signals a change in the wind, as if a heavenly painter is at work with a brush full of hope and a promise to stroke new color onto every leaf and branch.
This year I am better acquainted with my neighborhood trees. With a good book in hand,** I observe growth patterns, bark textures, leaf shapes, branching patterns, perhaps number of needles, shape of cones, color of berries, and flowers, if there are any left. All those characteristics taken together help identify the tree. I am learning their names. It’s interesting, it’s fun, at least for me, and it is satisfying to know my plant neighbors. I am grateful to them. They make oxygen, take up carbon dioxide, provide shade and cover, not only for me, but also local animals. Around here that means not only grey squirrels, cottontail rabbits, many birds, and insects, but also the butterflies that hover over my yellow flowers on the deck. They are part of my life here, as well as the silver maple in my back yard. It is still green, but I’m looking forward to more fall color.
What would we do without color? It’s another of nature’s wonders, one that drew us into the Colorado Rockies on Sabbatical in the autumn of 1976. All those golden aspen inspired several watercolor paintings. I will never forget the week we camped at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. . . read more next week.
**Trees of Minnesota, Field Guide by Stan Tekiela (Adventure Pub., Inc. Cambridge, MN: 2001)