The Last Days of Summer

It's the last week of summer...which means we have just a short time to enjoy those long, warm days before autumn's chill takes over. And while we're certainly looking forward to the beautiful colors and crisp air that come with fall in Central New York, we're not quite ready to let summer go!

 

So why not squeeze out every last drop?

 

For artists, one of the best ways to savor these final days is to take your art supplies outside. You don't need a grand plein air setup or an ambitious painting expedition. Set up a pochade box in your backyard, put your easel on the porch, or pack a sketchbook and a few favorite pencils and head to a picnic table in the park. Sometimes simply changing your surroundings can make you see familiar things in an entirely new way.

 

Your backyard can become a studio! Spend an afternoon painting the flowers, sketching a tree, or watching the sunlight move across the side of your house. Notice how quickly the colors and shadows change as the day goes on. You might be surprised by how much there is to see in a place you've looked at a thousand times.

 

Or head to the water. Find a quiet spot along one of our beautiful lakes, settle in with a sketchbook, and simply observe. Watch the sunlight shimmer across the surface, notice the reflections of clouds and trees, and see how the colors shift as the breeze moves across the water. Don't worry about creating a finished masterpiece. A few quick sketches or little watercolor studies can capture the feeling of a summer afternoon just as beautifully.

 

You could even make an afternoon of it with friends. Set up a couple of easels in the backyard, choose the same subject, and see how differently each of you interprets it. Or bring the whole family to the park and have everyone sketch the same view. The results don't have to be perfect. In fact, they're probably more fun if they aren't. You're simply slowing down, looking closely, and making a memory together!

 

And while you're at it, use the good stuff. You know that beautiful sketchbook you've been saving? The gorgeous paper that's almost too nice to use? The paints you've been waiting for the "right" project to open? This is your excuse. Take them outside and put them to work. Art supplies are meant to be used, and there may be no better setting for them than a beautiful late-summer day!

 

As the sun gets lower, stay outside a little longer. The evening light can transform even the most ordinary scene, turning trees golden and stretching shadows across the yard. Set up your easel or open your sketchbook and try to capture those fleeting colors before the sun disappears. You don't even have to finish. Sometimes the best part is simply watching the light change.

 

Next week, autumn will arrive. The leaves will begin their spectacular transformation, the mornings will get cooler, and we'll start reaching for our sweaters. But for now, summer is still here!

 

So grab your sketchbook. Pack up your paints. Take yourself to the backyard or the park. Find a spot beside the lake and watch the sunlight dance on the water. Stay outside a little longer than you normally would. 

 

And if you're missing something for your final summer art adventure, stop by The Art Store! Ask Sharon about her "office" at Green Lakes State Park! 

 

Summer ends September 22. Let's squeeze out every last drop!

 

XOXOX,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Art Store