There is always one tree that manages to capture my attention. Somewhere between being too shy to speak up and standing so proudly it seems to be saying, “Look at me, look at me!” This one called out to me, clearly not a shy one.
These moments are fleeting. While some trees are still dressed in their leafy elegance, others have lost their shine. Once they’re gone, they’re gone, and you wait another year, hoping to bump into an old friend again.
It’s curious. I’ve been looking at our landscape differently since artist Joan Hanley introduced us to the idea of seeing a scene through its light, middle, and dark tones during our recent Sketching in Silence gathering. It was as though I had been given another way of seeing. Now I find myself wondering, if I were to paint this scene, where would I begin? Which color would I reach for first?
Since I’m more at home looking through a camera lens than holding a paintbrush, that’s where I begin to play, both in the making of the photograph and later, in the editing. It’s my canvas, a place to experiment with light, color, shadow, and mood.
Scroll along and you’ll see the same scene in color and black and white. Two interpretations of a fleeting moment, where the tones speak another language all their own. I find myself drawn to both, for different reasons. And sometimes, the simple pleasure of discovering that is enough.
Wishing you the gentlest of weekends, in all its many shades. xx
