In Saffron Wood, 2014 – Michaela Harlow – Pastel on Cold Press, Deckle-Edge Paper, 20″ x 16″

I’ve always felt that our lovely, North American Beech is the great, unsung beauty of the New England forest. One of the last deciduous trees to color up in autumn, the Beech canopy ripens to a fine, butterscotch hue in mid to late October. Later, the leathery leaves become more transparent as they bronze to a golden, orange-brown in November. Beech trees hold their rustling leaves throughout winter as they slowly fade to a ghostly, paper white. And their gorgeous, silver-grey bark is smooth and silky to the touch; often reflecting the colors of winter skies. I love traipsing through the large stands of beech trees in my woods —especially after heavy rain forms pools in the pockets between their colonial root zones— admiring the dance of their saffron reflections.

 Remembering a forest’s prism of reflected light

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