I is for Italian Plum

Italian plums are in season in late summer and early fall. When ripe, Italian plums will be deep purple and firm.

Italian Plum Crisp

1. Cut 3 lbs. of Italian plums into quarters and remove pits. Place in a 9"x13" baking pan.
2. Combine 1 cup oats, 1 cup flour, 4 Tbsp. canola oil, 4 Tbsp. brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. cinnamon.
3. Spread mixture over plums and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Central Park in Fall

This is the second piece in my "Six Views of the Empire State" series. I love all the warm colors that blanket Central Park in the fall. Best wishes to everyone for a happy Thanksgiving!

November Afternoon in Central Park

Last weekend, we enjoyed a long walk through Central Park. The weather was relatively mild and when the sun peaked out, the foliage looked brilliant against the NYC skyline. I particularly enjoyed the warm red, yellow, and orange leaves glowing in the sun.

Fall Moon

Last Sunday, my husband and I took a walk in Central Park around 4pm. We were not prepared for the sun to set around 4:30pm! Turning around, we headed back home and saw a full moon shining through the trees. It looked so large and luminous against the near-barren tree branches. I sketched this vision after arriving home and then created this piece using gouache-painted paper.

Upper West Side Sunset in Fall

Nearly every evening, I peer out of our window and watch the sun dip beneath the buildings on the Upper West Side. Lately, the fall sunsets have been spectacular. The sky is illuminated with deep orange tones. Set against the darkened buildings, the scene is striking. I used gouache-painted and color-aid paper to create this collage.

Great Hill in Fall

I am very fortunate to have a view of Central Park from my living room window. The trees in the park are turning shades of yellow, orange and the occasional red. From a distance, it looks like a colorful quilt of warmly textured patterns. This piece of the Great Hill section is an attempt to capture that scene.

Pear

When pears come into season, you know that fall is truly here! Pears have such an elegant, artistic shape. In this piece, I used bold colors and simple shapes to capture their elegance.

Apple

One of the things that I like best about fall is that apples are in season! Throughout the city, farmers' markets sell bountiful shiny mackintosh, rustic cortland's, and speckled gala apples. One of my favorites is the pale green ginger gold. It's a visual feast to see all the apples in wooden crates with their varying sizes, colors and textures. I created this cut-out with color aid paper.

Reservoir in Fall

This collage portrays the Reservoir in Central Park in early fall. The branch of an oak tree spans the composition. I like to think of New York City as a landscape that changes with the seasons and reflects the surrounding colors and vibes from nature and people! In this piece, the bright skyscrapers mirror the warm tones of the oak leaves and trees surrounding the reservoir.

Fall in NYC

I had a lot of fun creating this piece! Yesterday morning, I spent time sketching new ideas and this piece leaped into my mind. The seasons changed dramatically from summer to fall this year and seemingly overnight the leaves have started to turn and the cooler air has blown into the city. In this piece, I envisioned colorful leaves falling over Midtown - what a lovely sight! The sky is a wash of gouache paint and the city scene and leaves are cut out from gouache-painted paper.

First Sign of Fall

Biking in Central Park this weekend, I observed that some of the leaves are already beginning to turn! With the days growing shorter and the air feeling crisper, the warm hues of autumn are nearly upon us. I love the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows of maple trees. Here in New York City, oak trees are more common. While oak leaves usually turn brown, I took some artistic license to make them more colorful in this piece!