Autumn is a particularly beautiful time in the Blue Mountains with many trees putting on a spectacular show of colours.
Excerpt from the poem Autumn by Kate Llewellyn:
… but autumn prefers me,
wistful,
longing for what has gone
dreading the cold to come.
Soon the leaves will fall and the colourful carpets will crunch underfoot.
What is autumn like in your part of the world?
It was one of those days when it would be so easy to stay at home. The weather was undecided, and then the skies darkened, a large storm approaching at speed. I waited until the worst of it was over before heading out, still feeling like it might have been a good call to stay put.
In driving rain I made my way to Everglades at Leura. I’d spotted a notice for a photography exhibition called ‘In Stillness‘ with the following blurb:
The photographs exhibited each draw on the essence of the Irish proverb, “In stillness, the world is restored”. The concept of stillness is explored by each photographer in their own way, with works ranging from monumental mountain landscapes to exquisite native birdlife to impressionistic interpretations of the landscape. The breadth of style and subject matter will give visitors to the exhibition a chance to join with the photographers in experiencing the concept of stillness in a myriad of forms.
There are three photographers exhibiting work: Louise Bishop, Fiona Huddleston and Dilshara Hill. Each photographer has an overall theme and style, but the work is complementary and creates the sense of stillness that it promises.
Winter is the setting for Bishop’s work, a time of ‘waiting, conserving, decaying and surviving’. The intrinsic stillness of this time of year, inherent in nature, is demonstrated in a myriad of forms including the nakedness of nature in winter. Decay is evident too, illustrated in landscapes and through dilapidated buildings. The quality of light itself is different in winter, and this too is captured in the work. Animals and landscapes feature throughout the photos, with a variety of textures and filters used for different effects. I particularly enjoyed the following: Sunrise, Kanimbla Valley; Once a Home, Hartley; and Winter, North Yorkshire Dales. The Hartley home is one that I have spotted on the Mid Hartley Road. I have also wondered at the lives that echoed within the old house.
Trees are the defining element of Fiona Huddleston’s photographs. They are identified as symbols of life, wisdom, strength and knowledge, amongst other things. Each part of the plant is revered: root, stem, leaf, trunk, branch. In her overview, Huddleston writes that her aim is to ‘endeavour to see rather than just look and to express rather than just capture’. Her exhibit is stunning in its range, with the works offering both depth and transparency. Tree of Contemplation, Tree of Connection and Tree of Imagination stood out for me, particularly with the gold highlights. It made me think differently about something that I see everyday.
Native birds feature in Dilshara Hill’s photographs. Her aim is to capture the world around her, recording the beauty in landscape and nature, and she hopes her work encourages and inspires others. The birds are captured in a striking array of poses: in bird baths, gracefully gripping grevillea, poised to take nectar from a camellia. And the range is broad: rainbow lorikeets, eastern spinebills, pelicans (a personal favourite), brolgas and zebra finches amongst others. The silvereye stood out, along with a clutch of fairy-wrens and an eastern yellow robin. But for me the showstopper was the gang-gang cockatoo, captured with a cheeky, over the shoulder look. I smile whenever I think of it.
There are prints and cards of some of the work available for sale, in addition to the exhibition pieces. When I wandered through, one of the photographers was there, providing an overview along with a friendly welcome. It was such a treat.
As I headed back through the mist-cloaked gardens of the Everglades, my mind was abuzz, filled with the wonderful images I had seen. Definitely worth leaving the house for.
Everglades Gardens Gallery, 5 – 27 November 2016, Wed – Sun 11 am – 3 pm.
[Photo: pool at Everglades as mist rolls in]
The warmth of summer seemed to linger longer this year, trailing into late April before the sharp freshness of cooler nights and mornings made their presence felt. But now the lower temperatures are here, there seem to be signs of autumn everywhere.
The deciduous trees of the upper mountains in particular have been putting on their annual show, turning an amazing array of reds, oranges and yellows before falling en masse to create gaudy mosaics.
A late Sunday afternoon walk is a sensory delight. There are windfall piles of leaves to crunch through whilst admiring the claret-red of Japanese maple leaves, not quite ready yet to fall. The air is scented by fragrant smoke from chimneys. The last vestige of summer blooms, including roses, vintage hydrangeas, nasturtiums, begonia, daisies and geraniums peep through gardens and front fences. Hedges of camellias provide bursts of colour, soft white petals fall to the ground bringing thoughts of snow. Bird calls sweetly pierce the air.
There is something about the light in autumn, the different slant of the sun, especially in late afternoon. It is particularly golden, imbued with warmth.
As the day fades and the temperature falls, it is tempting to walk faster, to get home quicker where it will be warm. But it is nice to take the time to admire the mountains in the late autumn sunshine.
What is autumn like where you are?
[Photo: autumn leaves]
