The days are getting shorter, the locusts sing their songs, and the back to school sales are upon us, reminding us to enjoy each remaining minute of the summer season.   It is not too late to paint  (or eat, or both!)  summer's treasures.   I’m still gathering in the special things about summer-  I’ve decided that for me summer isn’t over until the end of September.  Did you know that August is peach season ?  That apple picking begins in August?  There are fall raspberries,  and the grapes are ripening.  Local spots to savor some of these include Lost Acres Farm in Granby, CT,   Bushy Hill Farm in Granby,  Kuras Farm in Suffield,  the 4H Farm in Bloomfield, the Appleberry Farm in West Suffield or the Sweet Wind Farm in East Hartland. Farmer’s markets will have these and much more, many  markets end in mid- late September,  so don’t wait.
 
For the artist, the changing light provides fresh inspiration for painting whether en plein air, or shooting photos to be savored in the studio all winter.  Fall is when the vineyards are harvesting, but who really needs a reason to visit a vineyard.. try these local vintners:   Lost Acres Vineyard in Granby, CT; Rosedale Farms and Vineyards, and the newly opened  Brignole Vineyard in East Granby.

It’s Farmer’s Market Season, have you been to one yet?  Most of the local towns have them.  In our area there are many:  East Granby Farmer’s Market at the East Granby Library, as well as in Granby, Simsbury, Suffield, Windsor, Bloomfield, even the Old State House in Hartford- all have markets to visit.  Summer season brings wonderful fresh vegetables and fruits, all locally grown. 
Summer brings yummy things to eat,  but for the artist it is a feast for the eyes and ideas as well.  There is an amazing variety of colors and  textures.  It is a challenge to capture all that, but can you also evoke the aromas and flavors, the crispness, the juiciness, the anticipation of the that first taste?   Once you have a vibrant painting, it is a simple step to reproduce it  and make various size prints and cards to take to shows, workshops, and local venues.  Make buying your art even easier for your customers
For the art lover, you can have this summer beauty all year long hanging on a wall in your house, support the arts and purchase a painting from a local artist.  Keep an image of summer in your kitchen or dining room,  even  the porch, bathroom, mudroom,  or wherever it makes you smile.  Start a collection!
And how about “Pick your Own”?  Get out in nature and pick your own summer treasure- go early before it’s too hot.  Sample the goods and you’ll be hooked.  Don’t forget to look around you and enjoy the beauty of the surroundings, we live in a beautiful area of hills and valleys, ponds and fields.  My personal favorite is blueberries and raspberries at Kuras Farm in Suffield, CT.   But don’t forget the Pickin’ Patch in Avon for a wide variety of items, or Lost Acres Farm in North Granby, CT for apples!