Change is Good…

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Sheryl Checkman

Being a lover of warm weather the end of summer always feels a bit bittersweet. On one hand the lazy, sun-drenched days of beach visits and barbecues are past, but on the other hand, the crisp air and glorious colors of Autumn do offer a welcome consolation prize. Change is good.

I find that the change in season gives me new subject matter to photograph and new ideas for product design. The photo above was taken on a visit to Narrowsburg, NY. Walking along a country road one morning I was struck by the beauty of the surrounding woods. Using a slow shutter speed I was able to capture the colors of the the changing leaves and the striking vertical lines of the tree trunks in this impressionistic image.

Autumn Woods Scarf available on lifeisbalance.etsy.com

I designed this sheer scarf (above) from this impressionistic fine art photograph.

A chic addition to any Autumn outfit! Wear this luxuriously soft scarf around your neck, as a wrap, or tie it around your waist as a beautiful sarong. Dimensions: 50 in x 50 in. You can find this scarf on my Etsy shop here.

This design is also available as a throw pillow or pillow cover in a variety of sizes.

Autumn Palette

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Sheryl Checkman

Curves of Garlic

Every season has it’s share of natural beauty. The fall, known for its vibrant colors shows off the brilliant beauty of the trees before losing their glorious coats as well as the wonderful earthy hues of autumn’s harvest.

During my visit upstate last weekend I found some really beautiful colors and shapes at a farm stand that I visited. The green curves made by the stems of garlic that lay displayed in a basket caught my attention, as did a display of multi-colored squash in all different shapes and sizes. Deep purple peppers with their green stems resting in a basket along side the better know red and yellow ones, made a still life worthy of an artist.

Squash of Different Colors

Purple Pepper

Peace, Love & Fall Weekends

Posted on October 16, 2009 by Sheryl Checkman

Last weekend I was invited upstate to a friend’s country house for a birthday celebration. Fall was definitely in the air, the weather was crisp… maybe a bit too crisp for early October but the leaves were turning all the beautiful shades of red and orange that they do every year at this time. My friend’s house is in Narrowsburg, NY, a town in the Catskills, not too far from the Bethel Woods Arts Center, the site of Woodstock.

One of the neighboring towns, Callicoon, resides along the Delaware River. It’s a quaint town with some interesting antique and thrift shops. We walked in and out of the shops on Saturday and I found a great 100% wool beret in one of them for $3.00! What a find. But, my favorite find was the sign over the local bar/restaurant, Mathews on Main. Who could ask for anything more?

Food • Bar • Happiness: What else could you ask for?

A visit to a crafts festival at the Bethel Woods Arts Center was on our itinerary for Sunday afternoon. It was a beautiful day for an outing. I might not have gotten to Woodstock in 1969 but I finally made it in 2009. We walked to where they have a plaque commemorating the 1969 concert and had a great view of where the original stage was as well as the hill above it where all the thousands of people listened and partied for three amazing days.