Sunday, August 24, 2008

Harvest Gold




These days, when I drive to work, I feel like bursting into song "The prairies are alive, with the sights of Autumn..."  Has a familiar ring to it; something about a nun and the Swiss Alps.

The prairies are just amazing right now, with the color of these canola fields against the intense blue of the Alberta skies, and the greens of the wind rows (the trees and bushes you see in the background in this painting). Fields of wheat, rye, barley, and other grains are ripening rapidly now that there is mostly sun and warmth. Gardens are coming into maturity, and produce is showing up at all the Farmer's Markets. 

Red barns like this one dot the countryside, and there are these huge evergreen trees which seem to have sprung up out of nowhere. There are several on properties which are around us - lone sentinels which tower above and amidst the bushes.

In only a couple of weeks, the air will grow crisp in the morning and evenings, and a hard killing frost will end the season. We are at such a high altitude, being next to the mountains, that our growing season  ends very early. The beauty of this time rests in the hours of bright sun filtering through golden fields and yellow trees against that backdrop of intense blue sky. It is the signature of Alberta prairie. "The fields are alive...."

If you would like to purchase this painting, or commission something similar, please contact me:  jogiesbrecht@gmail.com

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'd love to burst out in song with you. ;-) Your painting is absolutely lovely. I love the vivid colors. I am sooo looking forward to Autumn.

Best,
Paz

Jean Victory said...

Joanne,
Fall is my favorite season and you can already feel the shift in the air here. Go for the gold, girl!

Unknown said...

Paz,

We would make a great duet! I, too, enjoy the colors of autumn, and the crispness in the air. It seems to be a time of being invigorated by the shorter, colder days. What I don't like about fall is what comes after. We had such a long winter/spring this year, and a surprisingly cool summer - I feel that I have not had enough of the sun and long lazy days of summer yet! :-)
I am looking forward to seeing New York in autumn through your camera lens! I marvel at all the things you find to show us! I loved the doors - just fabulous!

Talk to you again soon.

Unknown said...

Jean,

Don't you feel like it was just a few weeks ago we were shivering in the cold of a very late Spring? How quickly time goes by! I know fall is almost here as we are beginning to get those fantastic sunrises again - today's is pink, blue and payne's grey. The sun is coming up much later too. In the summer, it doesn't get dark until after 11 and the sun rises around 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. It is now 6:30 a.m. and the sun is just on the horizon. Sigh. Have a great long weekend!