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This painting has sold! 
For information on how to purchase a painting on this website go to the link here. 

In the fall, when amber leaves carpet the path, the morning light on yellow trees is stunning. So lovely to walk when the leaves are crunching under foot. This is Autumn at it's best! We got out for a walk along Salmon Creek Watershed trail yesterday morning. Right as we started out we heard what we thought was a Canadian Goose honking and honking. As it flew overhead I was so surprised to see it was a Great Blue Heron! I had no idea their call sounded like a goose. The morning was cloudy but very nice and fresh, I was so happy to be outside on a nature break. 

This painting was a true challenge because I wanted to give the impression of the trail being covered in leaves. In watercolor you paint your lightest colors first and as you paint you save those lights, or paint around them. Well, that didn't quite work and after scrubbing the pathway out and taking a break, I called my life-line who suggested using gouache, which is a very opaque, water-based pigment like watercolor. The yellow leaves you see here were spattered on with a toothbrush, hopefully giving the impression of a pathway carpeted in leaves. I like the light at the end of the path as it turns the corner.

Today I listened to the opera Otelo by Verdi which I really enjoyed.

Did anyone get out to see the Northern Lights last night? Here in Southwestern Washington we are too close to Portland maybe to have truly dark skies. We drove over to Vancouver Lake and parked. It was pretty dark. We felt our way from the parking lot over the grass to the very sandy beach and looked north. No Northern Lights could be seen. Maybe next time.

Sending bright skies, autumn leaves and lots of love to you all,
Kristi

If you would like to read about the 50 Days of Painting, you can read this blog post. 
You can see all of the watercolors in this project here.