Our harbor is clogged with cruise ships. It’s that time of year when everyone wants to float along the St. Lawrence River, looking at the hillsides on either side of the river and this is a particularly good year for autumn leaf watchers. While the trees have responded to changing day length by ceasing chlorophyll production, we’ve maintained enough warmth and lack of wind that the leaves have been late in falling, creating an amazing blaze of reds, yellows and golds. Some of the trees are so bright that they are hard to believe. Maybe someone is painting them.
Chantal and I have been driving around on the weekends, visiting different places under the auspices of sketching and adventuring, but mostly just to enjoy the sunshine and the trees. Mostly we just enjoyed being outside in the sunshine.
My arthritis has disabled my drawing hand so I haven’t really done a lot of sketching, but my heart’s in the right place and that’s something. I’m hoping the hand will return to normal soon and I can get back to sketching more. In the face of our excursions hither and yon to visit forests, there is some irony in the fact that the sketch I present to you here was done no more than a 10-minute walk from my house. I sat at the edge of a park and drew this amazing tree and its surroundings. Hope you like it.
Stillman & Birn Beta (8×10), Platinum 3776, Platinum Carbon Black
Oh, yes, Larry–it’s a good memory of autumn, to store up against the cold winter ahead. It sounds beautiful up there. One of our former governor’s families used to take summer vacations there. Our leaves are behind schedule in changing this year, but it is finally here.
I hope your arthritis pain lets up soon.
There are thousands of people who agree with you as this is our ‘second’ tourist season and it’s all because of the trees. — Larry
We hope your hands turn to normal immediately, and don’t miss your beautiful autumn sketches. We’re addicted to your trees, additionaly, in season transitions, i always live some problems about customizing my palette, as i saw, you’re not living this kind of problems
I’m hoping the arthritis problem improves soon as it’s getting in the way of my sketching. As for deciding on a palette, I can never decide, mostly because I don’t know enough about color mixing. — Larry
Wow, that’s fantastic color you’ve got — enjoy! Our leaf-peeping season is almost over already.
Tina
It’s hard to do autumn trees the justice they deserve with pointy devices. All we can do is try 🙂 — Larry
You really seem to have nailed the colour! Great sketch. Hope the hand heals. Perhaps you could practice with the other one?
Thanks Victoria. As for right-handed sketching, I can barely draw with my left hand so switching isn’t a solution for me. — Larry
Beautiful sketch! Happy Birthday, and hope your hand heals soon!
Thanks Debbie. Arthritis is something that doesn’t heal. It just comes and goes at its whim, or so it seems 🙂 —- Larry