Farm Lane & Blue Jays

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17 1/2” x 13 1/2”, acrylic on board, 1987

 

One of the most wonderful times and places on the planet Earth is autumn in the deciduous forest regions of North America. Deciduous, of course, means leaves that seasonally drop off. The coming of winter brings a change of light and a nip to the air which turns the forest into a multitude of rich and brilliant colours. These regions of North America were those first settled by pioneers because the land was easily cleared and had rich soil. Coniferous forests tend to produce acid soil which quickly becomes infertile when cultivated.

 

The first settlers were farmers who built their homes and barns on suitable topography. This often entailed a long lane leading from the main road to the buildings. In most cases, they encouraged trees to grow along the lanes as shelter from the sun in summer and the blowing snow in winter. I also believe that they encouraged a row of trees on each side of the lane because they enjoyed their beauty.

In this painting, I tried to capture the feeling of autumn and the smell and rustle of that golden carpet. To give a little cool contrast, I put in a couple of flashes of blue. Blue jays are also very much a part of the sounds of autumn for we always hear their ringing cry "jay . . . jay . . . jay".