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I’ve been enamored by the colors in our backyard. Our biggest maple tree was rusty red on Thursday, and by Saturday it turned fiery red, and by Sunday, when the wind and rain had cleared, almost all of the leaves had fallen off of the tree. Towards the end of Sunday afternoon the light was shining through the trees in that breathtaking way that makes you forgive the sky for yesterday’s torrents of rain. It was as if the angular beams of light were proudly pointing at each branch and at each deeply colored leaf asking me to notice.

I read a poem with Chick this evening. It was all about sandboxes that won’t be used again until the spring, dried seed pods who were turning their heads toward the ground, window screens stored in the attic, people putting their garden to sleep, and the pause before the earth is covered in snow. It all felt a little dramatic when they locked the garden gate for the winter, but still, it echoed exactly how I was feeling today. There was a damp cold feeling in the air that reminded me that the seemingly perpetual 65 degree afternoons won’t be around much longer.

I am pausing.

And, I am inspired by the deep, bold colors of fall. It has been informing my crafting and artwork in a big way these days as I am working on collage and sewing. I’ve been spending much of my time creating a new series of art blocks, which are mixed media pieces made on old boards with picture hangers on the back for easy hanging. I am using natural pine scraps from our local lumber yard and a non-toxic satin sealant for protection. I’m thinking of putting a few in my shop in the coming weeks. We’ll see.

This one is titled Bird at Home and it features two of my hand carved stamps.

I now have to scurry off to my studio to finish working on the girls’ Halloween costumes. Chick will be the tooth fairy and Miss Mouse will be a chocolate chip cookie. Chick wants to hand out some white felt teeth, so I have some cutting to do.

xo e