Autumn Almanac

Oil on Board, 12 x 17 inches  SOLD

As I sit in the studio, late at night, with the snow driving past the window almost horizontally in Spring, with temperatures down to -4C, here's an Autumnal scene I've painted for a client, just as a reminder of things to come, hopefully with a Spring and Summer before it!

This is near the village of Lyndon, a few miles from here, where the Oaks and Limes provide this glorious burst of russety colours each year as the sun shines through them, throwing those lovely shadows across the road.  You have to be a bit careful with the colours and not make them too hot, otherwise it's not convincing.  Autumn is, after all, a time of rest and change, when the trees and plants can no longer photosynthesise as the days get shorter.  looking almost directly into the sunlight, the trees in the distance still take on a bluish tone, despite all the warm colours of the leaves, and this provides a nice foil for the yellows and oranges.

I've called it Autumn Almanac after that great song written by that quintessentially English songwriter Ray Davies, frontman of the Kinks.......go on, you know you want to....

From the dew-soaked hedge creeps a crawly caterpillar  

When the dawn begins to crack, it's all part of my autumn almanac  

Breeze blows leaves of a musty-colored yellow  

So I sweep them in my sack, yes, yes, yes, it's my autumn almanac

 
Friday evenings, people get together  

Hiding from the weather, tea and toasted  

Buttered currant buns, can't compensate 

For lack of sun because the summer's all gone

 
La la la la, oh my poor rheumatic back  

Yes, yes, yes, it's my autumn almanac  

La la la la, oh my autumn almanac  

Yes, yes, yes, it's my autumn almanac

 
I like my football on a Saturday 

Roast beef on Sundays, all right 

I go to Blackpool for my holidays  

Sit in the open sunlight

 
This is my street and I'm never gonna to leave it 

And I'm always gonna to stay here if I live to be ninety-nine 

'Cause all the people I meet, seem to come from my street 

And I can't get away because it's calling me, come on home 

Hear it calling me, come on home

 
La la la la, oh my autumn almanac  

Yes, yes, yes, it's my autumn almanac  

La la la la, oh my autumn almanac  

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes

 
Bop bop bop bop bop, whoa 

Bop bop bop bop bop, whoa