Drawing Inspiration In Season
The seasons offer sensory delights throughout the year. When the weather and calendar shift, the environment is full of fresh sights, sounds, scents, and savory local fare. We feel it and want to taste it. This may explain why, when temperatures drop, there’s a cultural appetite for “pumpkin spice” and the desire to be cuddled in an oversized sweater.
In Maine, I love the annual flourishing of each season. Autumn brings a grounding comfort in New England when the golden sunlight is low in the sky. It makes bright contrasting shadows during the day and dramatic emblazoned sunsets at dusk. The axial tilting of the planet increases the length of night, cooling the atmosphere. In the northeast, the autumnal equinox brings a balance of light and dark that transforms trees and gardens into a palette of red, orange, yellow, amber, and russet greens. Ripened produce and bright hardy mums spark my circadian rhythms and artist’s eye. Gourds, squashes, and apples offer warm hues and spherical forms. The air is crispy and creative. I’m inspired to sketch and sip cider.
Generations of farmers have harvested fall fruits for food storage, wholesome cooking, and festive decoration. Abundance is on full display at local stores and farmers’ markets. Homes and businesses decorate for Halloween with gourds and pumpkins, and twinkle lights that accent the swirl of falling leaves. It awakens creative memory and potential for making and crafting and feasting. The most curious fruits find their way to my drawing table where they get a closer look. The tones and textures are unique to the growing cycle. I see and feel the artful whimsey of nature. On a cool afternoon, with soft colored pencils on medium-weight drawing paper, I render the bumps and curves of a gourd. Observing and sketching this small wonder rouses my craving for a tart apple pie and the creative self-care I need.
Spring, summer, autumn, or winter - there are colors, shapes, scenes, songs, and celebrations that enliven times of the year. Familiar and grounding, we appreciate and look forward to their splendor. Pastel flowers and rainbow storms in spring, bright blue skies and green lawns in summer, golden trees and fruits in autumn, and the silvery serenity of fresh falling snow. Every cycle, every turn of the globe, every year we come around to the time to reap what we’ve cultivated and celebrate what matters most -we can be ever inspired and creative.
As the natural world moves to a new cycle, move with it. Gather yourself and what inspires you -art materials, a camera, a writing journal, a date with a friend, that favorite recipe, an open heart. Create time for wellness. Be inspired and in the moment. Embrace and express your creativity. Enjoy seasonal sensations, and save room for pie!