Fire

"The leaves in New England are always fabulous in the autumn", I've heard many people say. Clearly those people have never noted the leaves in the Pacific Northwest. Not only do the colors become glorious and vibrant, but we have the intense greens of the evergreen forest to contrast against the colors. Contrast is something that I am always aware of as an artist and as a writer. The contrast of dark against light, the contrast of dialog against narrative, the contrast of complimentary colors are all a source of constant delight to me. There is a contrast that I have never been able to paint with precision, because nothing on earth comes near to its essence, and that is the contrast of sunlight against the earth and all that is within it. I see a leaf without sunlight shining on it and it seems dull, but when the sun sparkles through it there is an explosion of luminescence. It is the same in the dark when the moonlight shows.

These colors and lights that we are able to see with our eyes are such a gift. I always wonder if the color of snow seems as amazing in the North and South poles.