Daily Painting Practice - Before the Frost

I was at Standing Bear Park a few weeks ago, before the frost and the snow had wiped out the color and the leaves. This large maple is near the entrance.
Blocking in the sky over the half tone helped define the composition, breaking the space into positive and negative areas.
I wanted to keep the warmth of the late afternoon light to give it a feeling of a perfect fall day. You know the kind day when you kick the leaves on the sidewalk and they make that leafy swish swash sound.

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Before the Frost
8"x10"
oil on canvas board

Everything around here now is a dull purple gray. The first snow has come and gone and the trees are stripped bare. Winter in Nebraska has begun.