First rain

Living in British Columbia, it was bound to happen: the first rain in about two months! We have been so spoiled with a long summery autumn that I almost didn’t mind this first rainy day. The children for sure were excited: excited to wear rain boots, rain coats, and carry umbrellas.

As I drove along the country roads to work this morning, I noticed the leaves have abruptly turned. The local broadleaf maples have donned their spotted yellows, and the nursery-bred maples are particularly brilliant in crimson. I was struck by how many birds were taking to wires and swirling nearby, disoriented or thrilled by the change in the air. That is what inspired my quick ink sketch above.

I am not the only creative person around here. I was very impressed by something each of my children made this week. I arrived home from work one day to find my five-year-old had composed an actual song using her xylo-piano, drawing coloured notes that correspond with the piano keys. She had painstakingly sounded it out, and wrote it down for her three-year-old brother to play for her while she danced in her tutu.

My son, who has just started to draw representational pictures, surprised me by painting this forest at the preschool drop-in the other day:

I was thinking about how solitary art is for me. I still truly need to retreat from people to paint and think. Over the past few months I have been busier than usual with work, and it was difficult to retreat at any point in the day or evening. I was so thankful this evening to just spend time alone in my “studio.” I hope it will be a new trend, now that fall is here.