Autumn Leaves

I’ve filled a good 30 bags of leaves, and have chosen to ignore the remaining stragglers until spring. And by stragglers, I mean another 10 to 15 bags worth. My body aches, and while I thought I was in shape, apparently I’m not when it comes to raking. So I’m turning my attention to other autumn options, and found that a few pressed leaves and a little gold paint can look magical.

Materials

• pressed leaves
• gold acrylic paint
• sponge
• sticky tack
• canvas board or cardboard

Instructions

1. Select some autumn leaves that have already been pressed and flattened in a book. Lay them on a canvas board or piece of cardboard. Once you’re happy with the layout, place a small amount of sticky tack under each leaf to help hold them in place.

2. Gently dip a sponge in undiluted gold paint and apply on and around each leaf. Make sure you hold each one down with your fingers as you apply the paint because even though you have used sticky tack, they may still move around a bit. Keep in mind that the way you apply the sponge can create different textures. Once all the paint has been applied, remove the leaves and sticky tack, and allow to dry.

A few great autumn songs to play while you work:

Les Feuilles Mortes by Yves Montand

Autumn Leaves by Cannonball Adderley & Miles Davis

Sand River by Beth Gibbons

Autumn Leaves by Eva Cassidy