The Burning In My Heart: Autumn Leaves and Wild Winds

Looking at the autumn leaves blazing with fire on the trees, I can feel their light pouring into my soul and lighting me on fire from within. It's almost too much to bear to look at them for long, and yet I am a glutton for the beauty. The wind just fans the flames higher.

all photos by Grace Robert

Caught in Autumn's Web: Spiderwebs in the Marshes

All photos in this post by me.

I went for a ramble in the marsh, early one morning when the sun was just barely up. Mist rose up from the lake to swathe the small peninsula I was on, and everything was in soft focus, seemingly grey and wet and sad. Yet, if you walked bent over like I did, or crouched in the water weeds, shin deep in in dark, glinting water, you could see bright colors, trembling jewels, delicate line drawings.

Don't be afraid of getting wet; it's the price you have to pay to capture beauties no one else will see.

Here is the first set of beauties I will share with you from my ramble. Delicate, swaying spiderwebs draped over grasses. How I would love to have a necklace of these.

Autumn Leaves Inspiration

I've been so inspired and excited by the advent of fall that I've painted enough stuff to start up my Etsy shop again. Here are a few of the lovely leaves that have been my muses.

Farewell to Summertime

"In the fields of summer, I will dance away with you..." Sirenia, "Glades of Summer"

This has been a beautiful summer. I have swum, explored, gardened, and dreamed. Now it's time to say goodbye and welcome fall. Here are some images from my summer.

Anne Girl

L.M. Montgomery's character of Anne Shirley has always held a special place in my heart. As a girl, my imagination was captured by her, and not just because she had red hair and lived on Prince Edward Island; she had flaws like me, such as being too stubborn, holding grudges, and being a little too romantic. I loved nature, and she loved nature. I hated certain boys, and she hated certain boys. I fell in love against all my protestations, and she did too.

No surprise then that I sat down to paint something pretty, and what came out, quite by accident, was Anne Shirley. I didn't realize it until I'd painted the last strand of hair, and then I said to myself, "Well, if it isn't Anne Shirley." She has the red hair, perfect little nose, and flowers in her hair.

Rather appropriate I think, with fall coming on to astound us in all its wild, red glory.

Water Nymph

Summer is the perfect time to be a water nymph.

water nymph7 by NerySoul, http://nerysoul.deviantart.com/

Girl of the Limberlost

One of my favorite books is A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter. I read it so long ago that I can't remember if that book is what inspired my fascination with moths or if it merely spoke to it, but in any case, it is a well-beloved book to me. So, in an effort to explore the photo editing program Gimp, I created this collage, and found out that Gimp is wonderful! It's free, and very powerful, and decently easy to use.

Girl of the Limberlost by Grace

closeup of Girl of the Limberlost