When Water Holds Autumn Colours

There are certain days in autumn when everything seems to come together. The sky is clear, the leaves are at their brightest, and the lake is calm enough to reflect it all back again. It doesn't happen every day, which is part of what makes those moments so memorable.

Reverie was inspired by one of those afternoons.

Reverie, 12 x 12 inches, oil/canvas.

What caught my attention wasn't just the colourful shoreline. It was the reflections. Every small ripple stretched and blended the colours into something new, creating a second landscape on the surface of the water. I found myself spending as much time looking at the reflections as I did the trees.

When I painted this piece, I wasn't trying to capture every leaf or every branch exactly as they appeared. I wanted to paint the feeling of being there. The warmth of the afternoon sun, the stillness of the lake, and the way your mind naturally slows down when you're surrounded by nature.

That's one of the things I love most about painting landscapes. They remind us to notice the moments we might otherwise rush past. A quiet shoreline. Light moving across the water. The colours that only last for a few short weeks before another season arrives.

I called this painting Reverie because that's exactly where my thoughts wandered while I was there. Not focused on anything in particular, just enjoying the experience of being present in a place that felt peaceful.

My hope is that the painting brings that same feeling into someone's home. A small reminder to pause, take a breath, and reconnect with the beauty that exists in the natural world.

Sometimes that's all we need.