FALL from The Forces Of Nature series

This oil painting is part of that ongoing series I've been creating over the years. I thought of her as I worked on the painting, as the embodiment of fall and like my previous post, Winter, is commanding and playing with her element, the falling leaves. But there is an air of sadness to her amidst all the beauty. It's a feeling I often associate with fall, a kind of pleasant melancholy. There is still some leftover warmth from summer, but with an undertone of the approaching winter. Fall always seems too short, in my opinion, but so delicious, with ripened apples, a hint of wood smoke in the air, warm sweaters and fall foods. The light changes and days shorten. Perhaps our lady is playing with her leaves one more time before the real chill begins.
I went to New York and photographed a model for this, Ewa da Cruz. She acted the part so beautifully, we didn't want it to stop! Shirley Green was the photographer and Sharon Spiak created the costume.
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