My Brain Is Full Of Trees

The other day, I cut myself a huge section of white paper, grabbed some acrylic paint, and started painting.

Eventually, this piece will be cut up and used for a project in my art class, so my goal was to create something bright and bold with lots of small but interesting details. I used warm colors for the background - red, orange, yellow and pink. Then I layered some cooler, darker colors over the top; I'm always a fan of circles, so I used a pencil eraser, a cork, and some of the empty paint bottles to create a variety of dots and spots scattered here and there.

I made a point not to dwell over any of these decisions. Most of the time, I deliberate carefully about the choices I make with my art, but this project demanded spontaneity and a carefree point of view. I let the spirit blow me like the wind, and I followed my impulses without a second thought.

As the paint was drying, I saddled up good ol' Ranger and we went out for our afternoon walk. When we got to our first street crossing, my eyes caught a glimpse of one of my favorite trees for fall color. A pretty little sumac, its neat and precise leaves were at the height of their autumn glory and I decided to step over for a closer look.

Hmm. Red, orange, yellow and pink leaves, with dark dots and spots scattered here and there. Whether Mother Nature was my subconscious muse or this was just a happy coincidence, I don't know. But I think my painting quite closely resembles a giant sumac leaf, and I'm well chuffed.