A Rainy Sunday Sketch

What do you do with a sleepy, cold, rainy, quiet Sunday morning in Autumn?  Sip a pot of hot black tea, and sketch the essence of fall -- a colorful leaf.  This bristle-tipped oak leaf caught my eye on a recent hike, so I scooped it up and set it on the table where I have my morning tea.  Finally a moment to sketch it, I fell into that timeless time, the meditative state we drop into when we draw.  Art connects us to nature and heals us.

An Autumn Ritual 

For years, I have celebrated Autumn in my nature journal by going for a walk, selecting a vibrant fall leaf, and capturing every detail I can, from the brilliant colors down to the bug bites and pock marks left behind by a season of use.  The meditative experience of focusing on the miniature takes me into the present moment, and I am left with a record of the day, the leaf, and the meditation.  Chronicle your present moment in a journal with a leaf and it's portrait.