TM8740 Here Comes Autumn 36×44 oil on panel
While this painting seems to be about autumn, it’s really about yellow, that high-keyed, exuberant color that never sits still and always wants to leap off the panel. I’ve always admired yellow’s power, but I also respect the difficulty of getting it to sit alongside other colors without totally dominating the painting. Taming yellow was the challenge for Here Comes Autumn. I wanted the joy and exuberance but in balance with the other colors of September. Of course I did take some artistic license – with this year’s drought I doubt the colors will be as rich as usual. But that’s the fun of a painting – it can be whatever you want or need – and I need yellow. Details below. Enjoy.
TM8740 Here Comes Autumn – detail from left of center
TM8740 Here Comes Autumn – detail from right of center showing use of scraping and spatter
TM8740 Here Comes Autumn – detail from lower right with foliage reflections and floating leaves
Teri Malo Studio 
The light jumps off the picture as you say. Have you noticed how much yellow is in Van Gogh’s pictures?
I have – and I think that Van Gogh used it symbolically, not just as a descriptive color. For him, it was both light and a psychological response to light. For me, blue is probably my most deeply felt color – it speaks to me of rationality and a certain calmness.