**AUTUMN TRANSITION**

• A real autumnal day, with morning rain and darkened skies that shifted in time for lunch.

• Russet leaves upon the lawn but too wet to work in the garden, although there's plenty to be done!

• Afternoon was bright but short, and night descended fast.

• All the stars were out this evening as I waited for my friend.

• The night air had a bitter chill as I stood and looked above at the starry sky..

******Red Fairy watercolour painting******

So this time of year it always gets me thinking about the seasonal changes and what it means for me, such as the shorter days in terms of light, or the sleeping later because morning still feels like night. As an artist, I have to plan my paintings to ensure that I can adjust what I'm working on, to take account of the failing light and the alternative, artificial lighting making everything look so different.
It becomes a time to reflect on where the year has gone, whilst being mindful that Christmas is not so far ahead. Less sunlight begins to have it's affect on everyone's 'feel good factor' and a sense of loss surrounds us if the summer had few sunny days, a feeling that the weather has cheated us. Now the skies are grey and dull, but "hey! Let's have some optimism here. It's not all doom and gloom, when the sun does shine, everything glows, and at night all is warmed by the harvest moon, so big and beautiful in the sky. "
October is a brilliant time to be walking in Epping Forest, as it can look very surreal with the contrast of bright orange leaves against the, almost fluorescent lime green moss on the many trees, be they hornbeam or beech, they look absolutely wonderful.
So everything is in transition from one state to another. A time for 'shedding the skin', leaves off the trees and a mental clear out for me. I want to get cosy for the winter, organise my work so that I can finish things and put them aside whilst anticipating something new, and in tune with my feelings at this time of year. I love to paint with the seasons even though my work is not displaying the scenes of autumn, I like to feel the autumnal energy, how it slows up to prepare for hibernation and to feel the seeds wanting to be planted in the dark to build up their strength for the following spring. This is how my work pattern is too.