Fall is my favorite season. I know, I know — wasn’t I just lamenting the end of summer a few weeks ago? But while I miss summer’s energy and abundance when it goes, there is no salve like the surreal vibrancy of fall, of trees lit up like firecrackers in the crisp, drying air. In fall, I feel most awake, most attuned to the world, and perhaps most inclined to savor, as we slip towards the dark of winter. Though the colors of the trees are actually harbingers of decay, revealed from their normal hideout under a scrim of chlorophyll, they feel like a celebration.
As it gets cooler, things calm down, and I find I get a little more time to spend at home. Especially at this time of year, I think its important to make sure home is a place you want to be, and having beautiful, colorful art on the walls is big part of that. So I’m delighted that Lux Archive, a site that offers affordable, limited edition fine art photographs, has offered a special discount and giveaway for Aesthetics of Joy readers. Lux Archive has a beautiful range, with lots of pieces that bring the joy of the world into clear focus. Back in February I posted an amazing image of a cardinal in flight by Paul Nelson, which is part of a remarkable series called Wild Birds Flying available on the site. The amazing fall color images for this post are by David Reinfeld, and I love how each image seems to replicate a leaf structure at large scale — the branches like veins, the leaves like cells — affirming the lacy, fractal structure of our amazing world. There’s more: the airy, beachy images of Kerry Mansfield, the exploded flowers of Fong Qi Wei, and this deliciously bright and absurd dog on a giant watermelon.
For 20% off on prints at Lux Archive, use code JOY20. And for a $50 coupon for one reader (that covers half the cost of a small print), write your favorite thing about fall in the comments. I’ll choose one that’s particularly joyful and award the coupon next week. Make sure to leave your email in your comment so I can contact you.
I’ve never done giveaways on this site, but I liked this one because I thought it was generous and might bring joy to some of you who are seeking it. Enjoy, and if you buy a piece, let us know which one so we can enjoy it with you!
Images: David Reinfeld, courtesy of Lux Archive. For more David Reinfeld, see here.
my favorite thing about fall is picking out a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch on a brisk day.
I love fall colors :)
and pumpkin flavored everything
I live in Canmore Alberta, a mountain town situated in the Bow Valley. Around these parts fall includes the turning of the larch trees, a unique coniferous tree that loses its needles ever year. The turning of the larches motivates hundreds of people to venture into the rocky mountains to witness these glorious pillars of light. So much so that Parks Canada had to close the road to Moraine Lake at the base of Larch Valley, as the park reached capacity. It is like an ecological pilgrimage.
This year, which I am sure people exclaim every year, the larches are particularly magical. I don’t know if it is due to the above average weather we have been having or what, but it seems all the larches turned golden yellow at exactly the same time. It truly is wondrous to see such natural coordination, a sight that really lifts the spirit and induces dropped jaws in awe.
So, long story made short, may favorite part of Fall is when the larch trees turn yellow :)
In England autumn can be a more muted affair, with shades of brown in the landscape just tempered by orange and some yellows. But I know autumn is here as last weekend a flock of what must have been many thousands of swallows wheeled overhead waiting to leave on their 10,000 mile journey from Britain to Africa. I’ve never seen such a flock of them before and it was captivating – each swallow a darting point of black against a perfectly clear blue sky. A few hours later they were gone. In memory of this moment I’ve bought one of Paul Nelson’s bird images from Lux as a gift for someone special – so thank you, Ingrid, for your post.
My favorite thing about fall is that my first child will be born soon! Every sign of fall brings me closer to the due date!