Day 2 of NaBloWriMo (National Blog Writing Month)...
Did you ever watch The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross? I thought of Bob today and his "happy little trees" as we were driving to church this morning passing all the breathtaking fall foliage along the way. Bob had the most calming voice underneath that mile-high hair as he taught viewers basic techniques of landscape oil painting. This time of year especially reminds me of an oil painting with the bright splashes of vivid fall colors contrasting the spring and summer hues of the leaves and beckoning me to grab my camera. I have literally spent hours driving around the countryside trying to capture that perfect autumn picture. Bob was brilliant at capturing that perfect tree on the canvas--he made it look so easy, too.
As a perfectionist myself, I can never be satisfied with painting a tree, because I would always want to see if I could make it better. Saying I finished a painting would be proclaiming that I had achieved perfectionism--I do not know many perfectionists that can ever say that. Consequently, most of my paintings in art class were incomplete and more on the abstract side--to cover up a multitude of sins. With all of nature's blessed faults and colors of the wind, photographing is better than painting in my opinion.
That being said, there is an activity I would like to try sometime (if I am ever near Raleigh, North Carolina). "Wine and Design" is a niche business I discovered on the Internet that I hope catches on in the upper Midwest. Their tagline, "Uncorking Your Creativity," is perfect for what they have to offer. On their Facebook page, the description reads: "Come enjoy a fun night out with friends & family! Bring your favorite bottle of wine and get ready to paint your night away! You'll be taught step-by-step from one of our local artists and will leave with your own masterpiece! Great for girls' night out ... and any other special occasion!" At least if I did not paint the subject of the night exactly to my liking, I could blame it on the wine :) LOL!
Is the artist in you itching to capture the beauty of fall? Do you know when the fall colors peak in your neck of the woods? I found a wonderful website that not only gives a weekly update for the fall conditions across the state, but also has a key for fall tree color information. For example, did you know that Hickory tree leaves turn yellow, then brown, before falling? Or that Green Ash leaves turn yellow, but White Ash has a purplish cast? Check out your own state's Department of Natural Resources website for this autumn information relevant to where you live. And whether you are painting or picture taking or just cruising from here to there, enjoy the lure of fall colors decorating your horizon.
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