Falling Leaves
Ochre on Umber

On the dark colourway I wanted the leaves to glow like the last ones caught in lamplight: oak, maple and birch leaves falling at every angle across a deep umber-brown ground.

It keeps the same repeat, with about ten leaves per repeat in a half-drop and dark space around each one. Ochre, rust and cream stand out sharply against the umber, all in flat gouache-style colour with crisp edges, a slightly naive line and no shading. I see it on the walls of a dollhouse living room on a cold evening, around an armchair and a hearth; in a study it feels just as snug.