Golden glow of autumn leaf in blue sky by Susan Hol

About "Golden glow of autumn leaf in blue sky"

by Susan Hol

About the artwork

Most striking in this image is the pure gold on the trees. The sun and the autumn leaves together make a golden composition in the forest. Because the leaves are scattered here and there on the trees, it is as if gold has been scattered around with a loose hand. The golden sheen combines nicely with the brilliant blue sky to the left and right of the image. The white in the center is from a cloudy cloud.
The black tree trunks intersect the image. They connect the ground to the sky in vertical lines. The thin branches crisscross the image, as branches should: whimsical and unpredictable.
I took the photo that forms the basis of this image near Chaugey. Turning northeast from our house, I find myself almost immediately in the woods. The trail immediately drops significantly toward a narrow stream. After a sharp turn to the right, heading south, you can then hike along the stream for quite a bit and eventually make a climb toward the spring where our tap water comes from. Along that climb is a steep impassable slope and at the top of that slope I found this image. In fact, these trees are closer to the road to Villars Santenoge than to the hiking trail. Because I was able to photograph at the bottom of the slope, I got exactly this image of gold, white and blue.
I edited the original photo and finished it with a touch of oil paint. Looking at it up close, it takes on something abstract.