I've always been a huge fan of negative space painting.  If you're not familiar with this technique it's basically taking an image or shape, securing it to your canvas, and then painting over and around the object.  When the paint is dry you remove the object and you are left with a silhouette surrounded by your beautiful painting.

I was brought up on the East Coast, and so I still carry the nostalgia of this season, even though I've spent 25 years living in a City with very little to offer when it comes to having 4 seasons.  Sure, there are a few trees dropping their leaves, but for the most part, our trees stay green all year long.  We don't get to experience those awe-inspiring red, yellow, and orange leaves cascading from above as we walk under a canopy of trees.  We don't get to jump into those recently raked brown, crunch piles, or smell the oaky, woody scent as our neighbors burn those piles.  That doesn't mean I don't see them in my memories and long for them still.

I suppose that's why I was drawn to Minne-Mama's leaf painting post. 

What I love about this craft is that it mixes all kinds of experiences.  The act of walking through the neighborhood or forest gathering leaves, the choosing of the best leaves for the project, the actual project itself, and then the joy in removing the leaves to see the shapes they leave behind.  

This is a great project for all ages.  Older kids can get into the intricacies of placement and spatial relations as well as color combinations and design, while little ones just enjoy the act of mixing colors and painting.

Check out Minne-Mama's post  for the easy to follow directions and some absolutely adorable photos of the craft in action.  I'd do it now...because in the blink of an eye it's going to be Christmas so you've got to embrace the season before it's gone, like that last leaf on the oak tree.