Autumn travels

"Study of a birch tree in Autumn" by Hilary J. England,  2014
8" x 10" oil on canvas

It's been a while.  I have had a great many things that went on since my return from Romania, and to be honest, I truly needed a breather.  I went to California, and tried to just decompress from everything, visiting with my sister, and that was very helpful, so when I cam back here, it was baby steps back to getting everything back to an even balance, and feeling like the dust had finally settled.

Now, with the holidays approaching, I kind of feel a little numb and a little apprehensive.  I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but neither do any of us, so I try to live in the day, and try not overthink things.  Ultimately, God is in control of all things, and I used to be able to easily see that by going out into nature to witness the beauty of God's creation,  and that usually keeps things in perspective for me at a core level, but for the last couple of months, I kept avoiding and putting off going out, like a feverish man avoiding a drink of water.....it just made no kind of sense!   So, when I went out for the afternoon the other day,  I just had such an urge to paint the beauty, that even my lethargy and "painter's block" couldn't stop it, and so, I painted this little study.  It made me so happy while I was painting, it was such a relief in my innermost being, I just felt like I was bursting with joy in the moment, and for that, I am grateful that these things can still make me feel such contentedness.

So, here is the little painting I did: "Study of a birch tree in Autumn."   Enjoy!