Yellow backyard leaves
acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © 2009
I have to just write and run tonight because tomorrow
school starts again, and it's a frighteningly early
morning. Thank God for the time change, and the
new jacket my sister gave me -- because the two
I alternate are wearing mighty thin.
We visited the Art Gallery of Ontario today as
a birthday treat for me, and I have never felt like
this before. Each painting we looked at seemed
to be telling me to get on home and paint. I always
stare at paintings earnestly, but today I could
have spent an hour in front of each one. Instead
I was too antsy.
The day outside was glorious. The last of the golden
leaves were lit like candles by the sun, and I knew
that those leaves were blowing off at a terrific rate.
The realization made me impatient. So we zipped into
the AGO store, which has amazing glassware and
inlaid wooden boxes from Egypt, and then hurried
home to supper, a short walk with the dog, and I
painted a very fast little scene mostly from memory.
The painting I worked on today is a quick sketch
of my impression of the yard with the lovely carpet
of yellow leaves. For about a week we've had brilliant
yellow both under our feet on the ground, and all
around us, and over us in the trees. We should declare
the whole month of October a holiday, but we can't.
Life goes on.
Have a this-year-I'm-going-to-love-November day.
