Fiery colored leaves foliage of fall offer some of the most tantalizing subject matter available to the landscape painter. It's a long time coming each year and it only lasts for a short time. The challenge for me is to capture the dynamic color contrasts and subtle variations in the limited amount of time available.
Hints of color start to show in the leaves in late August. They've lost the fresh, vibrant green of early summer. They are dryer tawny undertones start to appear especially when the sun is setting. This period can last for weeks. In Brooklyn it seems to last for the whole month of September and into October with only slight changes. Each day reds and yellows creep ever so slowly across the foliage. Some days it looks like there's no change at all. On other days and individual tree will suddenly be yellow while it's neighbors remain green. Maybe next year my goal will be to document this progress on a daily basis but this year like most others, I painted when I could and waited for the full burst of color to appear.
In this painting from September 5th russet tones begin to enter into the foliage. These early hints of fall can be powerful in and of themselves as they foreshadow the brilliant reds and yellows to come.
I knew the most colorful phase would only last a week or two. When it finally arrived, circumstances threw obstacles in my way. The weather was often rainy and windy and much needed freelance work suddenly appeared. Still, there were opportunities to paint on some beautiful days, and then it was time to get to work.
These two paintings were done at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I wanted to try some variations on a composition. The first was done in oils. As I was setting up to paint the second one the next day a security guard told me that painting in oils is not allowed in the garden, so I went to Prospect Park to paint that day and returned the next day with my watercolors. Spotty enforcement of unposted rules it turns out is yet another stumbling block for plein air painters.
This view from the Boathouse in Prospect Park is the result of my foiled second attempt to paint in the Botanic Garden. Not a bad alternative. Being at the close of day, the light was changing quickly and presented interesting challenges of luminous highlights and deep shadows.
Shorter days means the light effects change faster when the sun is shining than it does in the long days of summer. There is less time to work and I have to stick the light effect of a particular moment and resist the temptation to rework the painting every ten minutes. The lower angle of the sun means high contrasts and dark shadows. It's important to maintain unity inside large shapes by keeping values within them to a narrow range regardless of color. Remember that color and value are different things. Reds and oranges stand out especially next to blues or greens and you may think therefore that they are light but in reality they may be relatively dark.
An overcast day in autumn provides different opportunities. Colors and contrasts are not as stark but the subtle reds of leaves and soft grays of bare branches remind me of a smoldering fire, low intensity for the moment perhaps, but indicative of powerful forces at work.
This fall painting from last year was recently found a new home. Maybe a painting would make a good gift for someone you know this year or for even yourself. Living with art is beneficial. I think this is because when you look at art you are sharing the result of someones focussed time and attention.
You can always stay up to date with my latest work by following me on instagram at jgebersole.