“Delicious Autumn
My very soul is wedded to it,
And if I were a bird,
I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns”
-George Eliot

Pumpkins #2 | 6"x8" | unframed

$49.00

I remember from my secondary school in the former USSR teachers used to say that autumn had always been the most productive month for writers and poets. I believe it. The gentle and yet seemingly sudden transition from greens to the vibrant tapestry of colors around us cannot be unnoticeable. Everyone is affected by the fall in a variety of ways.

Fall is the transition to new possibilities- our brain loves a change!

For many, September might bring sadness that the sunny summer has gone and the saddest season -dreary winter- is right around the corner. Whether it is an anticipation of the winter blues or struggles dealing with life changes in general, fall could be a fabulous start in taking steps toward developing the ability to see possibilities in changes. This could be a learning process in dealing with anxieties and depression.

The Forest of My Dreams Fall Trees Oil Impressionistic Landscape Painting

$1,200.00

Fall’s highly energetic orange color - use it but know the limits!

When I came to the US, I was surprised how customary seasonal decorating is. American homes are filled with lots of orange color and traditional spices smells. The warmth of the vibrant and energetic reds and oranges evokes feelings of comfort and nostalgia. The pies’ aroma embraces everyone with an essence of coziness. It is great…but not when it is too much.

As an adoption social worker, educator and now artist I am fully aware of the high energy of those two colors and frankly, very happy that the orange décor is taken down by the end of the season by many families.

Why?

These are highly overstimulating colors. Remember that among us, kids and adults, could be sensitive people, autistic, ADHD and ADD. I would certainly suggest restraining from having oranges, pinks and reds in bedrooms especially in kids’ rooms.

Fall is a muse for creativity and personal growth!

Fall, such a cherished muse for artists, is an amazing opportunity for kids to craft! As an educator, in addition to using art as beautification of our surroundings, I strongly believe that any creative time has other significant merits and benefits! These fall crafts will help your child to develop an ability to focus, concentrate, analyze and, in addition, to develop such an important quality as observance (a huge surviving skill!)

Let me quickly list just a few ideas for you:

Three ways to preserve leaves
Leaf Stamp art & crafts
Leaf and Flower Fall Arrangement

Keep going to learn more on each!

Three Ways to Preserve Leaves

Preserve leaves in a book

Pick up leaves of any sorts on your walks.
Preserve them by putting them in a thick book for a week or so or iron them if you ‘d like to craft with them within next few days. All my books have leaves, so I always have leaves at hand. You never know what you or your kids could be inspired to create in the future!

In most cases I just put leaves in between pages like this. At times, I put there a paper towel (to remove moisture), especially if the leaves are a bit juicier or picked prior full fall color change.

A fun activity for kids and adults. Allowing them to carefully place leaves between pages is a great fall activity!

Preserve Flowers in Sand to Keep their Shape

If you’re looking to preserve flowers in their original shape, use sand!

Use a large bowl/container

Fill with some sand, place flower with the flower down

Fill sand around the flower as it keeps its shape

Keep in sand for a week then carefully pour the sand out!

Watch my Youtube Video to see how it works.

Here’s the end result:

Those flowers that have 3D shapes (verses flat, like leaves) could be easily dried by placing them in a bowl or box and …pour dry sand on them, leave for at least one week.

Spray Flowers with Hairspray

As a quick solution, use hairspray to preserve flowers. Just spray all over, and let dry!

Three Ways to Create Leaf Art

Use leaves as a fabulous stamping tool!

Just squeeze or paint acrylic on top of the leaf, being careful not to add too much. Use a paper towel under the leaf to protect from bleeding.

Try different colors such as red & yellow and let the colors mix on their own.

Place leaf on surface and tap it lightly with a paper towel then lift.

Have fun with it!

Instead of repainting your leaf each time you stamp, allow the color to fade and watch the texture it creates, I think the second and third stamp are the best as the paint is less “juicy”! This adds more beauty, don’t you think?

Use Stamped Art to Create Gifts!

As I looked at all my first times samplings, an idea popped up to cut out the oak leaf and use it for a greeting card! How genius is this?!

Just cut around the leaf stamp and glue it to a blank greeting card. If you don’t have blank cards take a cardstock printer paper and cut it in half then fold in half.

If you know me, I love DIY Gift Bag Art (My Most Popular Blog!) Here’s how you can create fall gift bags with the stamping technique.

Blank Kraft (or any color) can be found at your local craft store.

Once you are comfortable with stamping (make sure to practice first) stamp your leaves or just one leaf on a craft bag! Look how Glorious!

This is a great activity for adults and kids!

Why not frame your newly created art - look how beautiful and professional this looks with a mat and frame!

Create a Fall Composition

Go outside and find a variety of fall foliage, flowers, grasses, acorns, anything! This is a fun treasure hunt for kids!

As I laid some of my finds from my walk an idea popped up in my head: how about using this delightful combination as an art form?! And I just put everything into the frame, even without drying that tiny white aster flower and even not gluing leaves to the background (however, you can certainly do that!)

I used a frame with a cardboard backing and glass, maybe you have an old frame or something unique from a thrift stored.

The glass added enough weight to keep the arrangement in place.

Here, it is- such a gentle and poetic composition that became so happily a part of my fall decoration!

Painting Leaves & Leaf Art

Paint on the leaves! There are simply unlimited of what you could come up with! Start with something simple like dots (use back side of a pencil or brush)

Use acrylic paint to paint small designs on leaves that you preserved (make sure they are dry) Get Design ideas on my holiday blog.