what leaves leave
it is during this time of year, when trees are changing colors and shedding, that we often take notice again of the simple beauty of a leaf. to spend time studying and knowing the leaf, then painting the leaf. one of my favorite subjects when watercoloring is a colorful autumn leaf.
my model on left; my painting on right
i’ve also been experimenting with painting ON leaves this year, with the inspiration of geninne’s art blog. (this woman is seriously amazing! i want to live in her studio!)
leaves as canvas
we recently made leaf garland, which has such natural beauty when hung in the home. but another wonderful study of leaves is something we all did as kids: leaf rubbings. i had forgotten how simple and lovely these can be until novi and i made a bunch of leaf rubbings this week. an activity that’s as basic as a leaf, a sheet of typing paper, and crayons.
also fun to cut out!
i’m enjoying the contemplative exercise of taking one natural object, in this case a leaf, and looking at it through various lenses and media. it’s even better when sharing this with a little one and seeing it from her perspective, too.
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What wonderful ideas! I’ll share this post on twitter. I hope you are settling in to the area and finding your niche. Let me now if you want to connect over coffee or have any questions about the neighborhood. –Lorraine
Have you tried collecting leaves with your daughter, then taping a piece of clear shelf-liner (con-tac paper) on a window or door at her eye level, and having her collage her natural treasures on the sticky surface? They are beautiful, and can be preserved by covering with another clear sheet of con-tac paper when finished. These are also fun to do with different papers, tissue paper, cellophane, etc, but I especially love using the natural materials in autumn and spring.
lorraine: thank you! we’re settling in, slowly but surely! i’m always up for coffee!
julie: i’ve seen that project float by on a coupla blogs recently and can’t wait to try it! we’ll have to go out on another leaf hunt soon!