A Time of Ease

Collector's Focus: Visions of the Fall

Painters and photographers often seek out the light of the “golden hour” just after sunrise and just before sunset.

Darcie Peet lets us know the precise time in her painting Half Hour ‘Til Sundown – Pikes Peak North. The warm light of the setting sun accentuates the dried-out grasses and fall foliage of the sycamore trees, while the foothills fall into shadow and the peaks catch the last light before they, too, slip into golden light and then dark. She seeks “wild places” in her work and says, “For me, these backcountry spaces are powerful, humbling, have such a sense of awe and deserve great respect. Along with light, mood and a strong sense of place, it is these feelings and experiences that I strive to capture in my work.”Broadmoor Galleries, Half Hour ‘Til Sundown – Pikes Peak North, oil on linen, 36 x 48", by Darcie Peet.

Robert Peters says, “The Western landscape is an endless source of inspiration to me.
I draw strictly from my own observations. That imparts an authentic and natural quality to my paintings. If something is in one of my paintings, I’ve been there and I’ve experienced it.” The warm light accentuates the yellow of dried grasses, cottonwoods and aspens in contrast to the distant icy blue mountains. He unites the two with a small section of blue reflection in the lake in the foreground.

In the West there are two foliage cycles when the aspens turn yellow and their leaves fall, and the cottonwoods come along later with their own yellow glory. As their leaves fall, the skeletons of the aspen reveal the mountains behind.Manitou Galleries, A Place Without Time, oil on canvas, 60 x 72", by Jerry Jordan.

Astoria Fine Art, Colorado Dreamin’, oil on linen, 28 x 50", by Robert Peters.

Jerry Jordan, who has always been inspired by the painters of the Taos Society of Artists, lives in Taos and paints his surroundings in an impressionist style that captures the nuances of light and color, causing the viewer to imagine the smells and sounds of the scene. He considers the act of painting to be a prayer and evinces an awareness of the spirit in nature. In A Place Without Time he celebrates Taos itself as well as the Indigenous people who have called it home for more than 1,000 years.

The Nobel Prize-winning philosopher and writer Albert Camus wrote, “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”Jacalyn Beam, Tomorrow’s Faces, oil on conservation linen panel, 12 x 16"

Within this special section, glimpse even more scenes of nature that capture the enchanting sentiments and warm colors of the autumnal season in the American West.

Tennessee native and plein air painter Lori Putnam is known for her expressive brushwork, fresh compositions and keen sense of color. “When I imagine fall colors, I do not automatically think of red, orange, yellow and gold. Because I have painted in so many locations, I understand that autumn in Tennessee is not the same as in Montana,” she says. “The colorful bark on a tree outside my studio is more interesting to me than the entire tree with its thousands of yellow leaves.” Putnam’s oil Fall at Logan Pass brings viewers into a quiet scene in which a blanket of newly fallen snow drifts over golden grasses.Lori Putnam, Torso, oil on linen, 14 x 11"

Jacalyn Beam, Early, oil on conservation linen panel, 14 x 18"

“There is always a risk of painting what is usual and expected. Why paint what has already been painted so many times before and in the same way? Look at Three Pumpkins, a subject that is truly unexpected,” says the artist. “Seeing the colors of the bright October sky reflecting into the shadow sides of the pumpkins was irresistible. Collectors of my work report that they too begin to see the world through artists’ eyes.”

The painterly works of Jacalyn Beam depict a variety of subjects, including florals, nocturne, seascapes and landscapes. In Tomorrow’s Faces, we see the entrance of a barn awash in the fall season, with bright orange gourds scattered across the lawn. “The painting shows the large, heirloom pumpkins grown for the Chaddsford Pumpkin Carve, a carving tradition started by the Wyeths…The barn was built in the 1600s,” says Beam. “I love painting this scene each October when the pumpkins are transported from the field and put on display outside the barn. Within a few days, these pumpkins are transported to the event field where they become ‘Tomorrow’s Faces.’”Lori Putnam, Fall at Logan Pass, oil on linen, 24 x 32"

Lori Putnam, Three Pumpkins Walked Into a Bar, oil on linen, 12 x 16"

Her oil Early depicts the farm Spar Hill, named for the feldspar that was mined there. Originally owned by William Penn in 1681, the land has changed hands and seen various uses throughout the centuries. “Today, this property is on conservation, giving everyone an opportunity to enjoy the countryside,” says Beam. “I’m [captivated] to paint this landscape because of the shapes, colors, shadows and historical significance. It was early morning when I passed the structures, the shadows starting to show on the old farmhouse. The silo is intriguing with its copper roof and vertical shades of red. I used a brush and palette knife in this plein air piece.”

Autumn is a time to slow down, rest and take refuge. As you ease into the harvest season, make yourself comfortable and notice what artwork speaks to you in that place of solace. —