November Nuggets

Two days of gale force winds clawed away all of the colour remnants in even the most sheltered places. Here and there in the middle of the hardwood stands, the sienna and ochre young leaves of young beeches stand out amidst a now smoky greyness that prevails in place of the vibrancy and rich colour of October.

November is a month of transition... quietness and unpredictability. Light comes and goes almost too quickly to study or capture it in the field. It plays teasingly with one's vision. Then, in a few moments it changes or simply disappears... leaving one wondering where to proceed. November is a perplexing month to paint in and yet... there is that sullen beauty... that intangibility... that state of transience that I find intoxicating to view. If I simply gave up and remained indoors... I would miss these moments of contemplation and would lack a full understanding of the seasonal cycle.And there is something grand about the brooding dark woods... with flashes of green on lichen covered granite  and fernery remaining.

Structure plays an even more important part in my painting process during November, but I am not going to burden you with a "play-by-play" to bring you up to speed on my plein air work for the month. Me thinks... I often talk too much and moralize. It's "the teacher" that still lives within... and I apologize for that. So this morning, I am going to let the three sketches speak for themselves. This is my take on November in our area. I'll let you decide if... and how I achieved any semblance of structure in an overwhelmingly middle value landscape.

"Waiting For Winter" - 0il on toned 10x12 inch panel

"November's Sentinel" - Oil on toned 10x8 inch panel

                                       "A November Crossing at  Kay's Bridge" - Oil on toned 12x10 inch panel


I came across this simple, but lovely quote a few weeks ago. It seems an appropriate quote with which to conclude my thoughts for this post. It derives from the Canadian writer Lucy Maude Montgomery and in the highest literal sense, this short passage clearly demonstrates the powerful beauty of the printed word in its visual imagery. It clearly echoes my sentiments about the value and joy in discovering... and appreciating... and celebrating "the Ordinary" ... the everyday blessings of one's own life:

"After all, I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one and other softly, like pearls slipping off a string."

-L.M.M
Anne of Avonlea

Good Painting!... to ALL!!!