Happy Harvest-time.

This Autumn I've been enjoying colors that I'm not normally that fond of:
burnt orange,
ochres and gold,
coppery reds.
They are earthy and jewel-like at the same time.

To counter the most blustery day of the season here so far,
after countless cups of tea,
I switch to warm miso soup with green onions
& chewy bread with butter
(and maybe a bit of my favorite dark chocolate as well).
Oh, and the beautiful Agnes Obel (this song especially) on repeat.

Sweet new things:
Ankle boots (incredibly comfortable),
A delicate scarf (long & skinny, Rust-colored),
A reminder pin ("keep a green tree in your heart and a singing bird will come"),
& a monkey-puzzler pinecone (as big as my size 10 feet, and almost as big as the cat).

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Look At What The Light Did Now

I know I'm behind the times a bit with this, but I just finished reading Never Let Me Go, but Kazuo Ishiguro.
I'd held off reading it because I thought it would be too depressing, but now I'm glad I finally read it, though it was indeed sad.

This metaphor might be a bit silly, but it was something I kept coming back to as I read; I found my experience of the book to be like gazing intently at the body of a dead sparrow, or other small bird.

It's saddening, horrific even, and your first impulse is to turn away from it.
But you look closer, perhaps out of a macabre interest, and you notice the delicacy of the little beak, the fine pattern of the feathers, and the fragility of the tiny feet.
And though it's hard to gaze upon, you recognize a kind of beauty in these exquisite details and find that you cannot look away.

It's been a long while since a book has moved me like this one did.

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Kaye Donachie
Liivia S.

Inside,
outside,
warm,
cool.

Some favorite views from my windows and windowsills.

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My day in food:
pumpkin butter on toast (Trader Joe's, I love you),
just-ripe pears (both Asian and Bartlett) with some strong cheese,
roasted butternut squash soup (yes, it's the time of year for this book again)
& left-over apple tarte tatin.

All I ate was Autumn, all day long--perfect!

I've been talking lots of Autumn walks around the neighborhood, enjoying the gorgeous weather.

My studio is just the perfect distance away--it's about a half hour's walk in each direction,
and as I finish in the evening to head home for dinner,
the light is just leaving the sky,
the restaurants I pass are reaching their busiest moments,
and the other shops are closing.
By the time I arrive home,
it's fully dark out,
and the first thing I do when I get inside
is turn on all the lights.

I received some Italian prune plums in my produce bin this week.
I'd never had them before, but I've been eating them like candy the past few days.
Super sweet with a nice sour skin--just right.

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Scarfshop
Wapa

In the studio,
making progress, playing with ideas.
Tonight: stretching new canvases!

Home in the late afternoon instead of at the studio,
baking scones,
drinking coffee,
making sketches.

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Completely perfect for this changing season in every way:
Alela Diane - White As Diamonds

I took these photos last week when everyone was buzzing about an Indian summer.
Then over the weekend it rained non-stop and this week looks like it's going to be greyer than grey.

I don't mind it though.

Isn't it amazing how rainy days at the beginning of Autumn feel cozy,
whereas rainy days at the end of a long winter sometimes feel unbearable?

I know this change of perception will inevitably take place
(I've lived through enough dark, Seattle winters to know
that the light that returns in the Springtime is like
the light at the end of a deep tunnel),
but it's just part of the seasons, really,
and right now I am enjoying what Autumn is giving us.

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Dark Dark Dark - Daydreaming

Working in the new studio space,
still getting used to things.
I have been painting away,
inspired by the new season.
I'm trying to keep things loose and open,
not tightening up and over-working like I sometimes tend to.
Perhaps I'll have something worth showing here soon?

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Loving this post as the weather changes (my dream get-away),
& this one from Tommy as I putter in the kitchen (my dream job!).

I am completely in love with Autumn right now.
It is my favorite season, and it really feels like it has finally begun.

All I can think about these days:
changing, crackling leaves
burnt orange, rust reds, & glowing golds,
real apple cider with breakfast in the morning,
baked goods, filling the apartment up with their homey smells,
cinnamon-spice,
glowing candles,
curling up to read with the cat on my lap
crisp sun with sharp blue skies,
& beginning to look forward to the holiday season.

I have a serious case of Fall-fever and it feels fantastic.

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P.S. I've added a print of the first photo to my shop in honor of the season.

Thank you for the wonderful book suggestions!
I think it's time for a visit to the library.
I know that I, for one, am looking forward to this book coming out (tomorrow, it looks like).

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Laura McPhee - River of No Return
Eirik Johnson - Sawdust Mountain