The Last Beautiful Autumn Day

Since long trips are not currently available, I prefer to walk in the surrounding area if the weather permits, especially in the autumn forest. A very strong and cold wind has been blowing for several days, there is almost no foliage on the trees. 

Therefore, I believe that this day was the last warm autumn day. Bright sun, blue sky, calm. I was walking in the forest, not far from the Baltic Sea coast (as I told you, friends, in September), and I wanted to see the colors of the Autumn trees. Looking at the beauty of the trees, I discovered that stones of all sizes lie not only on the shore, but also on the ground, even under the roots of pines and deciduous trees.

 

I have read about the nature of stones. If sharp-angled stone fragments fall from the rocks into a mountain stream or onto the seashore, then the water rolls them over, grinds them, makes them rounded. 

 

Rivers and seas wash away rocky shores, fragments of solid rocks fall from the slopes, washed by water and moving ice, and turn into boulders and pebbles.

I saw many picturesque places in the forest, here they are:

 

The sun was already low, it was about 5 pm so I went out of the forest to the shore. Crows flew over the trees and the sand, looking for something edible on the shore. The seagulls sat motionless on the stones scattered in the sea. From time to time they solved their problems loudly.

As far as I can see now, it was the last beautiful autumn day. It passed, leaving memories of the bright sun, blue sky, trees with yellow leaves and stones.

How do you spend autumn days?

Hylotelephium Spectabile Or Sedum Spectabile

Today I want to tell you about a plant that I love for its simplicity and bright bloom in the fall, when many plants finish flowering in my garden.  

Let me remind you of this plant because I have no doubt that you all know it well.

The ice plant or Hylotelephium Spectabile is an old-fashioned perennial plant. Formerly called Sedum Spectabile, it is notable for the fall. The sedum is a succulent with fleshy leaves and flat, nectar-rich flower heads that are extremely attractive to late-flying butterflies and bees.
 

I grow Hylotelephium spectabile ‘Carl’ which has blue-green rosettes of foliage over which dense green buds form, opening in masses of tiny bright pink flowers.

Sedum or Hylotelephium Spectabile are solar perennials that are easy to grow and are a distinctive feature in late summer and fall. Sedum flowers look especially good in grass.

I want to add that this plant looks great from spring, because their foliage is attractive in itself. In the spring, the flower heads are green, and from August they bloom completely. You can cut off dry flower heads and display them in a vase for months.

Do you grow Hylotelephium Spectabile in your garden? What is your experience?

 

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Pastel Paintings By Richard McKinley

Today I want to introduce to you, friends, an American artist who paints with pastels.  His name is Richard McKinley.

McKinley, now a renowned pastel artist, was born and raised in a small forest town in Oregon, USA. A fairly remote area with picturesque landscapes and in the immediate vicinity of Crater Lake National Park - a paradise for artists.

Pastel is a drawing or painting done with a soft, chalk-like pastel "stick" composed of powdered pigments. In appearance, the pastel stick essentially looks like a piece of chalk, although it is actually somewhat softer and smoother.

However, the charm of the landscape drew him outwards - and it was here that McKinley developed his own kind of artistry, capturing the fleeting beauty of nature, especially the fleeting qualities of light, water and sky.

In the open air, the artist often returns to the same place over and over again to put up his easel and paint the surroundings. "It's different. And the result is always different. My goal is to capture the spontaneous dance of light on the palette of nature,” says McKinley.

He became a teacher as well as a highly respected pastel artist known for his landscapes, created with an appreciation for the ever-changing, intricate tones of nature.

I first got acquainted with McKinley's work recently and I liked his paintings especially the way he paints water, reflection. His works subtly convey the beauty of nature. Which picture did you like? 

 

Perhaps you're interested in pastel painting by Richard Savoie.