THE COLOR PURPLE....RUSSET, GOLD and RED
How To Preserve Autumn Leaves in Liquid Wax

The best color palette is natures own. But how do you preserve autumns fleeting colors of deep purples, rich russets and shimmering reds? Preserve the leaves in liquid wax while they are still brilliantly colored.

On fall walks, go leaf collecting. Be selective. Often the most stunningly colored fall leaves are still dangling off of the trees branches while leaves on the ground may be muddy and already brittle. Procure a variety of leaf colors, sizes and categories. Bring a bag along for safe transport of your bounty and in the spirit of being a good neighbor, get permission before collecting leaves on someone else's property.

Once home, pour out a cup of your favorite steamy beverage (hot buttered cider...Mexican chocolate with chile pepper...orange cinnamon chocolate...?) spread out your leaves of gold, purple, russet, and red and begin the simple exercise of waxing autumns leaves to preserve a bit of falls elusive colors.

Now what tree was that?

Waxed Fall Leaves

Supplies:

• Selection of Fall Leaves
• Iron
• Newsprint or Newspaper
• Foam plate
• Liquid floor wax (from the supermarket)
• Blow dryer
• Waxed Paper
• Tree identification book
• Apple Cider

Directions:

• Sandwich your gathered leaves between sheets of newspaper. With an iron set to medium press leaves slowly to flatten them out a bit.
   
• Pour out enough floor wax to cover the bottom of a disposable foam plate or foam meat tray.
   
• Dip leaf one at a time into the wax. Turn over and dip the other side. Remove from liquid wax, shake once, and let leaf drip.
   
• Lay out each waxed leaf to dry on waxed paper. (A hand held blow dryer set on low can speed the dry time).
   
• When dried a bit, repeat each leaf to the dipping process. This second coat of wax will render the leaves as smooth as your favorite pair of broken-in leather boots!

Pad over to the kitchen, pour a cup of that yummy hot drink and over a good tree identification book, or an informative related website spend a lazy afternoon documenting the beautiful waxed fall leaves in your collection.

-Cynthia Padilla

Cynthia Padilla-Come along as we learn and improve drawing skills through direct observation.  Explore the traditional dry media applications of graphite pencil, colored pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, and pastels.  I am a national instructor of drawing and sketching through the traditions of Plein Air Field Sketching, the Botanical Arts and Naturalist Illustration.