study – SEPTEMBER BLUES © Sharon L Hicks, 2013

Prismacolour ... 5 x 7

The sky in autumn usually tends to take on a warmer tone than the other three seasons, more of a Cerulean hue rather than an Ultramarine hue, so to speak. That is also the time of year when many people start to feel a bit 'blue', with the impending reality of shorter days and longer nights. Even though the days of 'Indian summer' can be nearly as warm and coaxing as the middle of July, there is that underlying feeling of 'ending' which waits just around the corner.

It truly is a season of endings - the end of the growing cycle, the end of the harvest cycle, the end of long bright days languishing in the heat .. little wonder many of us start to feel 'the blues' setting in. The whole concept of S.A.D - Seasonal Affective Disorder - has to do with the decreasing amount of sunlight in our days, and many individuals are known to suffer to various degrees from this very real phenomenon.

But I don't think it's just the reduced number of daylight hours which brings on this malady - I suspect it also has something to with the psychological effects of Mother Nature's cycle of life winding down for another year. As humans, we are privileged to foresee what is 'coming next'. We know that once the days start to get shorter, they will continue to do so, until it reaches the turning point in December. For anyone (like me) who runs on 'solar energy', this is a daunting idea at best.

With the shortened days comes the realization (for many of us) that energy levels are going to dip. We know that the temperatures will also dip, which means the ageing joints will start to creak and complain and function less efficiently. It's like you've sailed to the top of the hill at the end of August, and then the downward slide begins in September, until you land in the ditch of December, and then you're faced with the task of climbing up the other side of that ditch as we creep our way back toward spring again. It sounds like a lot of effort to get from the fall season to the next spring, which can bring on a serious case of the blues.

But it's pretty to look at.

This study is simply a basic rendition of that 'September blue' colour which I often have seen in the sky just before the leaves start to turn colour.

            My photo                          after 10 minutes                     after 1 hour

In this study, the central 'criss-cross' pattern of the clouds was done in a slightly exaggerated way, to strengthen the simple composition. I had originally planned to show more detail in the foliage patterns of the treeline, which were just beginning to show a bit of fall 'fading' in spots. However, once I had done the cotton-ball draft, it occurred to me that such detail in the treeline would compete with the patterns in the sky. Since this was primarily a study of skies, the treeline was subdued and simplified.

Even though this study is not as dramatic as many of the others have been, it still provides a nice little glimpse of a particular time of year, with its own unique lighting conditions.

Tomorrow I'll be back with another ... I hope you can join me then.

Cheers

Sharon