November 7, 2007
So many of us, myself included, tend to look toward this part of November as a downward slide. So I turned to our resident artist, Kerri Voss, to see the season through a different set of eyes.
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1. Most people, when the leaves fall from the trees, look at the bare branches. Ever tried looking at the tree’s trunk? Check out those knots and scars. 2. What about the underbrush? Ever think about it? 3. Think about the contrast of an illuminated room on a dark and stormy day. Not evening. Day. You’ve got the grey outside and the warm, welcoming light inside at a time when it should be the opposite. 4. When the weather gets cold, shorts are replaced with jeans. They make a person’s legs look entirely different. We’ve gone from muscles and hair and scars and tats to blue sheaths. It’s sort of boring, but makes for a quick sketch. 5. Being the cool rock star that he is, Trevor wears his leather jacket — and pants — year-round. In Riverview, that’s not such a big deal; it gets cold in the evenings and mornings here. But when we’re somewhere cold, it’s fun to watch Trevor shiver. 6. Ski jackets. Ever noticed how many colors they come in? Especially the really expensive, high-end lines. It seems to me that there’s a group of people who make skiing into a fashion sport. Go for it. 7. Look at the flowers that are done for the season. Brown, shriveled — there’s a poetry in there that’s not the usual ShapeShifter all-about-dead-stuff. 8. This time of year, sunglasses go away and you can see people’s eyes again. Eyes fascinate me. Each pair is so different from any other and so many things go into making the eye area unique. I can always tell when Mitchell is stressed; he shows it around his eyes. Look at the eyes of the people around you. What do you see? 9. Colder weather means colder ears. Hats, headbands, muffs. All sizes, shapes, colors. Headwear speaks volumes about a person. I mean, have you seen Trevor in a hat? 10. I wonder how many calories a person burns by stamping their feet to get warm. Ever try to draw a person stamping their foot? It’s hard to deny the sense of motion that a raised foot inspires. 11. Pets get those lovely, thick winter coats that are just great to bury your hands in. 12. Ever notice how lonely a now-dead patch of grass looks once the leaf pile’s been disturbed? 13. November begins candle season. That’s all there is to it. You see candles in my art, I did it around this time of year. |
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Chelle Y.
November 7, 2007 8:19 pm
I have my Pumpkin Spice candle burning right now! I love the Fall!
pussreboots
November 7, 2007 8:38 pm
I love this time of year and yes, I do stare at tree trunks and underbrush. LOL. Happy TT.
Janet
November 7, 2007 9:02 pm
Yup, my Wolfie’s coat is growing in thick and plush!
bunnygirl
November 7, 2007 9:04 pm
Anything not-summer is a treat to be savored around here! Sadly, though, a lot of what marks fall in northern climes doesn’t make it this far south. Ski jackets and hats? Nope. But the good news is that leather jackets are completely appropriate!
Jill
November 7, 2007 9:36 pm
Shall we not forget the dance that the leaves do when the wind drift!!!BR/This amaze me every time!!
Lara Angelina
November 7, 2007 9:40 pm
Great TT!! And as this is my favorite time of year, I love the smells outside — leaves and snow — and inside: blueberry muffins and pumpkin pie. Hmmmm…fall. Beautiful in Chicago!
susiej
November 7, 2007 9:44 pm
I like that about the trees. I’ve always felt they had a soul.
Joely Sue Burkhart
November 7, 2007 9:49 pm
I love this time of year–until it’s dark when I get up and dark for dinner. Then I definitely feel the weight of winter pressing on me. Happy TT!
Nicholas
November 7, 2007 9:51 pm
I have to say,I prefer to leave the cold weather for other people!
No Nonsense Girl
November 7, 2007 10:05 pm
I love candle burning season!!! Happy TT!!!
jenn
November 7, 2007 10:06 pm
Great list.BR/Happy TT!
Baba's Blog .. Babies Are Special
November 7, 2007 10:29 pm
I love cold weather, fire places, candles, and hot chocolate… a great time to cuddle up to the one you love and be yourself… Baba
Greatfullivin
November 7, 2007 10:47 pm
Very nice list. “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes” marcel proust. One of my favorite quotes. Your list reveals it nicely. Happy TT.
Angela
November 7, 2007 10:51 pm
Very inviting to all the senses! I love all the autumn and winter candles. Thanks for visiting and sharing.
WorksForMom
November 7, 2007 10:56 pm
Oh how I love the smells the fall. All of them!
Lori
November 7, 2007 10:57 pm
What a great list. It made me stop and think. I never thought about the sunglasses theory but its so true. Finally getting to look at someone in their eyes after a long, hot summer is awesome:) Happy TT. Thanks for stopping by.
Christine
November 7, 2007 10:58 pm
Great list! I really enjoy picking out the details well…wherever I go.
Joyismygoal
November 7, 2007 11:10 pm
i love he way you look at things it is a lot like me: i always look at bark underbrush and contrasts:
The Gal Herself
November 7, 2007 11:21 pm
Another week, another TT where Trevor (or someone’s observation of Trevor) makes me smile. No wonder he’s a star! (Thanks for visiting my TT)
Sandy Carlson
November 8, 2007 12:13 am
This is a wonderful time of year, indeed. I love the yokes who resist it by dressing for summer despite the season. I wonder how they perceive the leaves and trees and candles through their darkened glasses!
cajunvegan
November 8, 2007 12:46 am
Flannel sheets, footie pj’s, and Gingerbread Lattes BR/BR/Happy TT!
julia
November 8, 2007 1:58 am
Kerri, I’m not one of the How-long-is-it-till-spring people. I love the fall. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. I see the season the way you do, and more. Maybe because red is my favorite color, and so many leaves and berries turn red. Maybe because my birthday is in the fall. Maybe because fall means Christmas is coming, and that is my FAVORITE thing in the world. Maybe because it’s funny when people like Trevor refuse to wear hats or warmer jackets than his leather one. Who can pick one reason why?
Xakara
November 8, 2007 3:42 am
Always great to read another view of Fall. It’s my favorite season but so many around me are mourning the loss of summer so this was nice to read.BR/BR/The hats and scarves and such brought to mind the most interesting thing about late fall and winter in the Midwest. It’s the only time of year that everyone looks the same. You can’t tell ethnicity or true build or anything other than it’s cold out and the person nearby bundled up as well as you did. BR/BR/Cold and Winter are wonderful equalizers. :)BR/BR/Happy TT, SBR/BR/~X
amypalko
November 8, 2007 5:48 am
It’s good to alter your perspective every now and then, isn’t it Susan?BR/Great TT!
Nicole Austin
November 8, 2007 6:01 am
Fall is such a great time of year. I wish the leaves changed here in Florida.BR/BR/Love your TT! Thanks for visiting mine. 😀
Yen
November 8, 2007 6:52 am
I love that about the falling leaves on the trees:) Nice list!BR/BR/Mine is up here;BR/A HREF=”http://yennygirl.com/?p=1202″ REL=”nofollow”Thursday Thirteen/ABR/Happy TT!
kate
November 8, 2007 7:24 am
Some great ideas. We’re expecting our firdt snow tomorrow.
Raggedy
November 8, 2007 9:19 am
Beautiful!BR/Terrific Thursday Thirteen!BR/My TT is posted.BR/Have a wonderful day!BR/Happy TT’ing!BR/*^_^BR/(=’:’=) BR/(“)_ (“)Å BR/Raggedy
erin
November 8, 2007 10:36 am
What a lovely list. I need to take time to notice more of the beauty around me. Happy TT! BR/BR/http://stephenanderin.blogspot.com/
Lesley
November 8, 2007 10:49 am
I love fall! It feels like a respite from the crazy heat here. And it turns the mountains into patchwork quilts (cliche I know! But accurate) And I love the way a bare tree looks against a cold winter sky! That’s not to say I don’t love spring (which is my favorite!) And summer for that matter, despite the heat. I guess I’m just all around nature girl…
Carrie Lofty
November 8, 2007 11:19 am
Jeans and sunglasses are standard for me, no matter the season. But it sucks when the sun is nearly gone by 4pm. Ah, like in Wisconsin. I don’t know how the Really Far North folks do it.
Holly
November 8, 2007 11:47 am
Nice post. It’s always nice to look at things a little differently – to notice things we don’t usually look at. Makes life fuller.
Darla
November 8, 2007 11:54 am
LOL! Now why am I not surprised that Trevor wears leather year-round? Yum.
Breeni Books
November 8, 2007 11:58 am
Leather pants in the summer…ew, Trevor! BR/BR/Happy TT!
LA Day
November 8, 2007 12:18 pm
Great list. I was just admiring my dogs coat this morning. She always climbs in the bed with me in the mornings. Nothing like a warm doggie coat.
Heidi Hyde
November 8, 2007 1:27 pm
Isn’t fall just the best?! Who doesn’t like root vegetables?!BR/BR/;)BR/BR/-HH
Xine
November 8, 2007 3:55 pm
Thanks for visiting my site and hanging in there with me. It’s been a bit of a roller coaster . . . BR/BR/LOVE this post. Especially #8. I love being able to look at someone straight on w/o the sunglasses.
jayedee
November 8, 2007 4:56 pm
what a wonderful perspective on the season! i’ve always loved the stark beauty of late fall and winter, but then i appreciate the beauty i find in west texas too
Vixen
November 8, 2007 5:13 pm
That is a really great list. Got me thinking about somethings and made me feel good that somethings I think about that I thought no one else did, other people do think of!
impworks
November 8, 2007 5:14 pm
After 4 years of lighting lectures and labs at University I still years later can’t help thinking about #3 and a wide variety of technical issues relating to artificial light interacting with natural light…BR/BR/Surprisingly this doesn’t actually spoil the effect so long as I don’t start thinking about the mathmatics ;-)BR/BR/Great TT 🙂
Nap Warden
November 8, 2007 5:24 pm
I miss burning candles…two toddlers and a cat have pretty much squashed that for now! Happy TT!
Moondancer
November 8, 2007 6:14 pm
Hmmmm so many wonderful things about fall.BR/BR/http://moondancerdrake.livejournal.com/
Happy Mama to Three
November 8, 2007 7:18 pm
I so love Fall and Winter. I think summer is something we have to live through to get to the good stuff. I figure if I get cold I can always add more clothes. But if I too hot there is just so much I can remove.BR/BR/Great TTBR/BR/Cindi
Joy Renee
November 8, 2007 9:44 pm
when i saw your blurb on the hub saying your TT is about season change I had to pop straight over. my TT is about my NaNo novel, Spring Fever, which carries the the cycle of seasons as a theme.BR/BR/this is very well done. I like the way you make your observations thru the POV of your artist character–a trained observer. nice.BR/BR/this has given me much to think about.
L^2
November 8, 2007 9:46 pm
You make this time of year sound so good! I’m a much bigger fan of summer, but I do love candle season and wearing jeans and hats again. BR/BR/Happy TT! 🙂
Ann
November 8, 2007 11:16 pm
Great list. I love the fall (despite the allergies *g*). Cooler weather and lower humidity can’t be beat. :)BR/Happy TT!
Tink
November 9, 2007 6:24 am
Kerri is wise! I share that way of looking at this time.BR/Thanks for visiting my symbols TT!
Pieces of Me
November 9, 2007 9:50 pm
What a great idea for a TT! It’s my first time celebrating fall after a 18 year hiatus in Israel. Your list gave me all the essentials for celebration. Thank you.
paisley
December 1, 2007 5:57 pm
what are eyes if not for discerning as we look upon most everything.. very insightful write…..