The story of the painting September, by Steve Henderson, at Start Your Week with Steve.

Autumn is such a happy time.

September is a season of completion and beauty — completely full of joy and bounty. Original oil painting by Steve Henderson.

Those who tend to see the glass half-empty point out that it’s a time of everything dying, and the color we enjoy is the last hurrah of the season.

But the lovers of autumn rejoice in that riotous color of fall, as well as in the harvest of bounty that is the result of a promising spring and a full, rich summer. Autumn literally abounds with bounty — fruit and vegetables and flowers; animals that have feasted through the season and are as fat as they will be for the year; gardeners marveling at the result of months of hard work. Autumn is a reminder that time, and hard work, pay off — not with the cold, hard cash that modern society sees as the only thing worth working for, but with God’s own provision.September is a floral and fruit still life that celebrates this feeling of abundance and beauty. A jumbled bundle of Black-Eyed Susans dance around Coneflowers and Zinnias, with a basket of pears standing in an orderly, yet disorderly array, beneath. Not to be forgotten, the apple — the traditional fruit of fall — makes its appearance.

Clear green glass allows us a peek at the green stems of the flowers, a reminder that flowers are not just the blossom, but the whole entity. This is a bouquet that a child would pick — full, complete, with the focus not on sophistication and the blending of colors to match the room decor, but on joy, celebration, and the music of the season.

Half empty? or Half full? How about neither: Autumn is a time of complete and total beauty, joy, and abundance.

September is an original oil painting, 18 x 18 on panel. With the gold-colored frame, included with purchase, it is 24 x 24.

Read the rest, including Steve’s work now on Houzz, the phenomenal interior decorating and renovation site, at Start Your Week with Steve.

See all of Steve’s original and licensed works at Steve Henderson Fine Art. Steve’s work is also available at stores.