The fall has gotten away from me as usual – so much work to get a new academic year up and running. But I have been making more space to make art this fall – I’m finding this a necessary component in achieving my own version of work-life balance. My latest project has been looking more closely at the way nature makes art all on its own – or perhaps the way that I frame it as art through my own personal lens. Inspired by the winter workshop I took on nature-journaling last winter, I’ve been drawing from nature on my summer canoe trips and on fall hikes – Canadian trees in particular are stunning this time of year. Leaves have been capturing my attention and inducing me to paint – small watercolours, replicating and riffing on the colours and shapes that I find aesthetically pleasing. I’m up to about thirty of them, and will keep at it until the leaves are gone and winter and settled in. I’m going to turn them into a handmade book, along with some of my thoughts on art/nature connections. I’m attaching a few images to share –hoping to inspire others to look at the beauty and aesthetic interventions all around in every season.Â
