King Mountain Autumn acrylic on canvas 1999 by Kathiesbirds One Single Impression: Autumn
In the Big Lost River Valley
a golden mantle is
thrown across the land
with the sweet scent of drying hay,
and damp cottonwood leaves
tossed like coins along dry creek beds,
where soft amber light shimmers
on the rugged shoulders of King Mountain,
Autumn comes to Idaho as a golden event.
~Kathiesbirds (September 18, 2008)
Click on the link to view more Skywatch Friday photos.
Visit Sycamore Canyon to view a my other Skywatch post: Raven Chasing a Redtailed Hawk
Nice poetry and clever acrylic work. I never did get used to it. I had to use extenders to retard drying time but nothing I did back then working like oils and glazes and reworking seemed awfully hard in acrylics. So I admire people who do it and are successful at it just like I admire those who sling watercolors all over D'Arches paper.
ReplyDeleteI reintroduced Better Blog Writing today but have not been able to do much on it as I pulled a hamstring muscle.
Cool catch for skywatch! Happy weekend! Mine's up too hope you can visit my corner too...
ReplyDeleteKathie,
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful. Just beautiful. I love the poem and the painting together. Remind me of Keats's Ode to Autumn.
Hi Kathie, I like your canyon. Where are the birds? :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy Skywatching.
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Note: only three of us so far have commented on Abe's pulled muscle. Guess most 'just look at the pictures.'
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very creative entry! Wonderful presentation of SWF! happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteWonderful painting and poem! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLove those autumn colors - Happy Skywatch!
ReplyDeleteTink *~*~*
My Mobile Adventures *~*~*
Poem goes well with the painting I have always liked ochre best out of all the colours I use and it looks good on the mountain.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful painting. Nice view.
ReplyDeleteGreat both blogs.
The colors are stunning.
ReplyDelete:O) Old womtig is a happy womtig after viewing and reading this fine posting Kathie... I've said it before I know.. but I'll say it again... I love calling by here and seeing your artwork.. your pictures or prose are always welcome on Sky Watch...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. I love the sky in your painting.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathie, I'm back again. I didn't comment on your poem before, just about your sky and the 'mountain.'
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of Autumn this way, of course most of Idaho is all very pretty and different from the usual tree leaves, yellow, orange, and red colors, etc.
Thank you very much for this poem, it tells your story well.
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.."Autumn comes to Idaho as a golden event"-and i see the fall in the rising sun..many thanks for a fine poem..
ReplyDeleteLovely words - fascinating painting! Idaho is truly a four-season state!
ReplyDeleteCertainly a golden moment. Excellent poem and stunning painting.
ReplyDeleteThis is an impressive combination of text and image, Katie. You are a fine artist and the colourings and shadows are remarkable.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I mainly respond to your verse, which is about a land that I have never experienced first hand.
I am impressed, Kathie. A poet and a painter?
ReplyDeleteMy mom was born in Cottonwood, Idaho. Where did you live?
Your painting shows that you love this place. It's so vibrant. I love that line of "cottonwood leaves
ReplyDeletetossed like coins along dry creek beds,". I can see that so well, sense it and know that image from my childhood growing up on SW Montana. Great post.
Abe, I am still learning my way around. This painting is from a few years ago. I need to get at it again.
ReplyDeleteSandy, thank you. I haven't read Keats in awhile. I'll have to check it out again and refresh my memory.
Hi Jim, I see you've commented twice. Thank you for coming. My birds are over in Sycamore Canyon. Yes, most people just look at the photos and leave. I try to read and write something meaningful when I visit other's blogs but it means I don't get around to quite as many as others do. As for the poem part, well, I didn't realize at first that my Skywatch poem and photo went with this week's prompt until I checked! So, I linked up kind of late but at least I connected. Thank you for your comments.
Art and Poetry, thanks for stopping by. I like ochre too and believe it or not, those mountains do look like that in autumn though the color is slightly exaggerated.
Diane, thank you.
Old Wom, you are my best and favorite fan! You are an encouragement to my heart.
zoya gautam, thank you for your fine comment.
tumblewoods, it does have 4 seasons but so different than New England where I grew up.
anthony north, thank you!
Julie, thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. I never experienced Idaho until 1986. Sadly I only lived there for 2 years but it made a lasting impression on me and I have been in love with it ever since.
fourwindshaiga, I no longer live in Idaho. (see comment about to julie) I now live in AZ and I have new mountains to fall in love with, but Idaho will always be my first love. King Mountain is in the Big Lost River Valley west of Idaho Falls and Northwest of Pocatello. While I lived in a tiny town called Moore, the nearest larger town is Arco.
Quiet paths, I'm so glad you like this and that it brings back happy memories for you as it does for me.
Lovely, you obviously love this land. It is caressed by your words. The scent of drying hay found my nose when I read that line. I can't say enough.
ReplyDeleteyours is the first of the autumn prompts i've read that evokes a smell...sweet drying hay, a wonderful memory of my childhood
ReplyDeleteGreat autumn colors and words.
ReplyDeleteLovely painting and words. Beautifully done.
ReplyDeleteFor someone who has never been in that place and has never experienced autumn, I revel in being transported 'there' through your beautiful description. The metaphor of the golden mantle and that of the tossed coins bring the landscape so close to my mind's vision. Thank you for this. Cheers.
ReplyDelete