Pumpkins

5x7 inches  watercolor on Aqua Bord (like clay board)

I've been taking photos of pumpkins for a couple years, hoping to get one I really liked and could paint. Don't you just like those rich colors?  These were at a local farmers market, and today I decided to give it a go on a sample board that Kristy Kutch handed out in a recent colored pencil class.  She demonstrated using watercolor pencils on this board, but I went for the regular paints.  The nice thing is that the paints soak in, but I was able to lift out highlights. I need to research more on this surface.  Should I spray on a fixative? How should it be framed?  If anyone knows, I'd love to hear from you.

The last couple days I've been pulling out the dead coleus and begonias, killed by recent frosts.  I felt like the grim reaper cutting off the snowball bushes and peonies, and it reminded me of this poem from the 2008 Wisconsin Poets Calendar.

Late Fall Sequence, by Margaret Benbow

Autumn night -- smoke and

owl call coiling grey around

ghost hydrangea

Walk home fast alone

dark fall night -- leaves wind or boots

striding close behind?

Cut their heads clean off -- 

Rose  tomato  zinnia

black ice moon tonight.