Watercolors. Autumn 2023

 

Autumn field

In the park

 

In the park

Cold day

In the park

These watercolors were painted in October. I hung them on a stand and corrected them, added to them... in general, I tried to bring them to the point where I could show them to you. And then I scanned and edited the size of the paintings by cutting off the edges of the white paper.

 

 

Lonely maple  

These watercolors capture my impression of the fall colors; I am always amazed at how brightly colored the leaves of the trees are in October, and how the color of the water and sky changes on a cold day.

 

October day

 

The October days were quite cold +4C, I made sketches in the park or photographed the landscape. When I got home, I started painting. 

I want to say that I bought new paints in tubes. They are made on the basis of gum arabic, which gives them greater brightness and they do not dry out on the palette for a long time.  

You might like some of my new works, I'm still learning and grasping the intricacies of watercolor technique.

"Autumn" By Vitaly Bianki

 

"...Autumn has already come to the forest. At first, when all the leaves were painted in bright colors, it was very beautiful. Then the angry winds blew. They tore off yellow, red, brown leaves from the branches, carried them through the air and threw them to the ground.

Soon the forest thinned out, the branches were exposed, and the ground beneath them was covered with colorful leaves.
Every now and then flocks of long-billed sandpipers and unprecedented ducks suddenly appeared from somewhere. 

 

They stopped at a river, in swamps; During the day they feed, rest, and at night they fly further - in the direction where the sun is at noon. Flocks of marsh and water birds were flying from the far north.
Now new guests arrived from the northern forests every day: winter was already beginning there.

 

 

 

In October, angry winds blew, but it did not always rain: there were also fine, dry and clear days. The cool sun was shining welcomingly, saying goodbye to the falling asleep forest. The leaves that had darkened on the ground then dried out and became hard and brittle. In some places there were mushrooms peeking out from under them..."

I found for you an excerpt from a story "Autumn" by Russian writer Vitaly Bianki  (1894 -  1959), he was a popular Russian children’s writer and a prolific author of books on nature.

What's your Autumn weather like - warm or rainy? Are strong winds blowing or is summer still extended?

Wild Mushroom Hunting

 

Edible forest mushrooms are a tasty excuse to spend time in the forest. The forest in which my family and I picked mushrooms is dry and slightly hilly. Pine and birch trees grow here, and there are large boulders. Wild mushrooms - these delicious edible mushrooms are perfect for beginner pickers!

 

There are many different edible species of mushrooms and I want to tell you about Boletus (Boletus), and Chanterelles (Cantharellus)

One of the most popular edible mushrooms is Boletus edulis, which is also called porcini, king Boletus or penny bun. Some of the most popular and valuable of them include king Boletus and bronze Boletus. Many novice foragers begin their mushroom journey by studying these wonderful mushrooms.

 

Boletus, also known as porcini mushrooms grow in the wild. They have a unique fleshy cap and thick stem, a distinct appearance with a fleshy, spongy layer on the cap and pores on the underside. The stem is easily separated from the cap. 

In Europe and Russia, fresh Boletuses are available in summer and autumn. Dried, canned and pickled Boletus mushrooms are sold all year round. I love Boletus soup or fried Boletus mushrooms with potatoes and onions.

Chanterelles (Cantharellus)

There are many different types of Chanterelles. They thrive in moist mixed deciduous forests and coniferous forests in the northwest. Most Chanterelles are golden or yellow in color, as well as some white and blue species. Chanterelles are highly valued in cooking for their unique taste and ease of preparation. They can be fried, dried, cooked in wine and much more!

They taste and smell like fresh apricots, and the aroma is absolutely unforgettable when you go home with a basket full of the harvest.

These yellow or orange, funnel-shaped, fleshy mushrooms are the best-known consumed species of wild mushroom. Some Cantharellus species have a fruity odor and a slight peppery taste. Beneath the smooth cap, these mushrooms have gill ridges that extend down to a stipe (pedicle) that tapers downward from the cap. True Chanterelles have wrinkles or ridges on their stems.

 

I love hunting Chanterelles because there are always a lot of them in one place. In addition, they are rarely affected by pests - flies, slugs, worms. How do I cook them? I usually fry Chanterelles with onions and vegetables, and the cooking time is no more than 10 -15 minutes, because they shrink greatly.

Have you ever picked wild mushrooms in a forest? How do you use mushrooms? 

 

source 

source