It is the season when everything around us turns yellow, orange, red and brown. The colours of autumn are spectacular and we, artists and non-artists alike, can’t stop admiring the falling leaves, the colourful flowers and the sky, constantly changing its colours and moods. We all know very well the first signs of autumn and capturing this season on canvas has been a challenge for artists of all times. Autumn Effect at Argenteuil by Claude Monet, Catskill Mountain House by Thomas Cole or Cenotaph to the Memory of Sir Joshua Reynolds by John Constable are just a few titles to remind us of its popularity with artists.

On the contemporary art scene, autumn proves to be as popular as ever. From landscapes and forest scenes to autumn flowers and abstract paintings, the artists capture the colours and textures of this season in oil, acrylic, watercolours or mixed media. The variety of styles and techniques gives the artworks individuality, offering the buyers an array of scenes and styles to choose from.

Autumn forest scenes 

Autumn Clearing by Stella Dunkley
Autumn Clearing by Stella Dunkley

No matter what medium they use, it is not easy for artists to paint an autumn forest. The competition of digital camera photos today can be both a liberation and a challenge. A liberation because artists can get as creative as they want as they don’t have to capture the reality as it is, and a challenge for artists who do want to stay as true as possible to the scenes they wish to depict. But no matter what their approach is, numerous artists are fascinated by the colours of woods in this season.

Autumnal atmosphere

A Hazy Autumn Day by Irina Rumyantseva
A Hazy Autumn Day by Irina Rumyantseva

Apart from capturing the colours from cadmium yellow and crimson red to burnt sienna and ultramarine, capturing the atmosphere of autumn is equally challenging. The right colour of light, the movement of clouds, the rain, are just a few natural phenomena that could get in the way when painting outside. On one hand artists may want to make sure they stay true to the colours they see, but on the other hand this might be difficult due to bad weather. The digital camera might come in useful this time as the artists can take some photos to use them later in the studio.

Autumnal flowers

Golden Sunflowers Triptych by CK Wood
Golden Sunflowers Triptych by CK Wood

There are many flower species that we see in autumn like allium, lavender and gaillardia (blanket flower) just to name a few. Floral art is a very diverse theme featuring flowers of all seasons and autumn is no exception. What’s more, semi abstract paintings can feature various flowers in a colour combination that reminds us of autumn like transparent browns and beiges or deep reds and oranges. Flower paintings come in a range of styles and technique from traditional and still life pieces to semi abstract and decorative paintings.

Autumnal abstracts

Intrinsic by Anni Rice
Intrinsic by Anni Rice

The beauty of an abstract painting is that we can give it any meaning we feel when looking at it. An abstract painting is all about the internal world rather than the external one. An abstract painting suggests emotions through colours, textures, title, composition, etc.  By using the autumnal warm colours, an abstract painting can remind us of this season while fulfilling its purpose of conveying emotions.

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With its warm colours, an autumn painting stimulates emotions. It will look good in any room, depending on the décor style and colour combinations. But with the 80/20 rule of decorating, no matter what the predominant palette is in your home or what decorative style you’ve adopted, you can still acquire an autumn painting to add personality to your home. For example if the predominant colour is warm, such painting will be in the 80% and if the predominant colour is cold, then it will be in the 20%.

The sizes of the paintings varies from large to small, so you can choose the right artwork either as a focal point in the living room or as a decorative element among other items to create harmony. Have a look at Art2Arts gallery and choose the autumn painting to suit your personality and your décor.

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