Autumn is here

Posted bySarahPosted inArt, water colorTags:, , , , , , , , ,
A tree with squirrels
Tree with squirrels (water color on paper; Oct. 2018)

Autumn is here.

Today it´s cold and windy – no, make that stormy what with wind forces up around 5 and 6 – and the tip of my nose resisted warming up no matter how many cups of hot tea I drank whilst painting this little water color of a tree this morning.

The trees are thinning much faster this year, no doubt due to that awful dry summer we had. So I took the liberty to add a few more leaves to the foliage. 😉

As usual, the squirrels are very busy gathering enough nuts for the cold months to come, and I give my best to help them by lavishly handing out walnuts and hazelnuts in my near-by park.

Published by Sarah

Artist & Illustrator

71 thoughts on “Autumn is here”

  1. Such a beautiful painting Sarah. It looks as if you painted the maple tree in front of my house. It is also the refuge of some squirrels. My son has almost tamed one. Sometimes, this gray squirrel with a distinctive tail comes on our balcony to get his treats. It’s so cute.

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    1. Thank you so much, Dominique! How wonderful that your son is good friends with the squirrels in your maple tree! They really can be tamed to some degree, it just takes time, patience and lots of nuts! 😁 But once they are used to their daily treats it’s important to keep it up, otherwise they will simply venture into your home to look for them themselves!! So take care. 😉 xoxoxo

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      1. Haha… So coming to our balcony was the first step, hein? I will be careful. I would not want squirrels to come into my house. I already had a raccoon visit two years ago and he did not want to leave… I had to put food outside and leave the door open for him to come out! 😄

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      2. It certainly is the first step of the invasion to follow. 😉 And no, you don’t want to have squirrels in the house, they would tear it down in search for nuts! 😂

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  4. Your tree is just beautiful, Sarah, and I love the squirrels, too. I love Autumn, but sadly, it’s been so warm still here. Even the plants and flowers are confused. The morning and evenings are cold, but the days heat up. Ugh! I’m so ready for a temperature change. 🙂 Love and hugs, my friend ❤

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    1. Thanks so much, Lauren! I´ve heard that a lot recently about the weather and plants and flowers being confused all over the world. It´s been unusually warm the first half of October but then it got far too cold. Now it´s settled somewhere in between and I hope it will stay that way as I´m not good with the cold – or the heat! LOL! 😀 Have a lovely rest of the week! Hugs and love! xoxo ❤

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    1. Thanks so much, Gill! It’s really getting cold really fast around here and I started putting the heat on since yesterday. Have a wonderful weekend too, my friend! 😄 xxx

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  8. Oooh, you are so sweet to think of the animals and to help them with their winter stash! I thought of you particularly this morning as I was writing my post, and included links to some of your posts. You continue to inspire me with the things you do and I am all the better for knowing you, Sarah!

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    1. Aww – thanks so much for your lovely words, Ju-Lyn, it’s wonderful friends like you who inspire to keep creating and sharing! Without you all I might have stopped a long time ago. 😄❤

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  9. I love this! The squirrel is the cutest ever. You have captured the feel and colors of fall beautifully! Its brings so much joy to give the squirrels something extra while they are harvesting for the upcoming winter. We are becoming leaf bare, too. Such a beautiful finale this year. Hugs! 😊💗

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    1. Thanks so much, Jacqui! I’m glad it reminded you of that tree you painted yourself, maybe next time you’ll pick up a brush and some water colors, it’s a lot of fun. 😉

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    1. Thanks so much, Inese! Squirrels will always have a special place in my heart and I always carry a couple of nuts with me just in case I happen to come across one. 😉 xxxxxxxx

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  18. I’m always happy to discover another respecter of squirrels. They get a bad rap I think. Busy little guys. Like North American monkeys in my trees. So fun to watch. The painting is delightful.

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    1. Thank you very much, Lisa! And yes, I´m a big respecter of squirrels! The red ones here in Europe don´t have too bad a reputation though but I´ve heard of people complaining of the grey big squirrels in your country. Don´t they get that these guys have a right to live their lives as well as we do?? I like you comparing them to little monkeys – they really know how to climb, don´t they? 😉

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    1. I think that title belongs to a friend of mine, Paul, he really goes there every day and keeps them in good fodder whereas I only go every so often. 😀 But I like to think we´re good friends, the squirrels and I. 🙂

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    1. Thanks so much, Peter! It´s a real joy watching these little squirrels going about their business and I´ve been itching to paint my little furry friends for years now but never found the time – yay to a rainy day! 😀

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    1. We are so green here in Charlotte with just a new tinge of red on some red maples. And it’s almost the end of October! Crazy weather. Hydrangeas are blooming along with azaleas and fruit trees. Goodness. We are so confused.

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    2. Thanks so much, Jill! It´s so much fun watching the squirrels using the branches of the trees like highways, running up and down, left and right. 🙂
      Are your hummies still with you??

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      2. Ah, that’s so sad. But at least you’ve got your photos and before you know it they will be back! Do you feed other birds as well? I’ve lots of fun watching Great and Blue tits dining on my peanuts, they’re quite hungry this year and I have to fill up the feeder everyday!😄

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    1. Thank you, Marlene! 😄 Trees and squirrels always make me happy.
      I’ve heard that a lot about nature and trees especially to be confused lately. It seems a common theme worldwide which is troubling to say the least.

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      2. I honestly think it wouldn’t be worth it, Marlene. Germany has much changed in the past years, and many look to other countries and dream of emigration… 😦

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  24. What a beautiful autumn tree, Sarah. The color explodes from the leaves. I like the squirrels scampering around it. We have very few squirrels in our neighborhood, actually very few in Southern California. But for a few months last winter, a squirrel scrambled in our staghorn fern. I couldn’t figure out why as the plant produces no seeds or nuts. Then the critter disappeared and I found I missed him. Maybe he’ll (she’ll?) return this winter.

    BTW, you may not know what a staghorn fern is, as they might not be common in Germany. They are epiphytes, plants that will attach themselves to surfaces like trees or fences, and grow in crazy profusion of giant leaves. They aren’t parasites as they take no nourishment from their host, but only use it as a foundation. We have three in our yard, each about the size of a stove.

    Are you also working with your kiln?

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    1. Thanks so much, Shari! Most trees in my neighborhood already lost most of their leaves so it´s nice to have this painting around and pretend. 😉
      And I hope your squirrel will return this winter, and if it does, maybe you´ll want to feed it with some peanuts? They really like those and don´t mind if you don´t keep a regular feeding schedule which would be counter productive anyway since I think wild animals should remain so and those nuts I give them are just a little bonus. 😉
      And I just had a little look at those stag horn ferns – they look amazing!!
      And how do you know that I´m actually busy again filling that kiln of mine? 😉 I´ve been making clay leaves with the kids last week – very easy to do but nevertheless very satisfying: you just roll out some clay and put a tree leave on it, press some more, cut around and bend up the edges – et voila: a little bowl! 🙂

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