See Color Changing Leaves Before They Fall

Many people claim fall is their favorite season, and it’s easy to see why. With the right balance of warm and cool air, the temperature is comfortable and invigorating. It’s a time for cozy sweaters and nighttime bonfires. Halloween is around the corner; jack-o-lanterns glow in the night. But one of the defining characteristics of fall is its falling leaves.

Trees shed their leaves when it begins to get cold. But before they can get crisp and drop, leaves go through a gorgeous metamorphosis of color, a shifting balance of red, orange, and yellow.

Fall’s beauty is undeniable. Some North American locales boast especially beautiful fall foliage, where lush forest areas turn into multicolored tapestries when temperatures begin to dip. These are the destinations that epitomize fall.

If you want to experience fall for all it is worth, check out the five locations listed below. They offer sights that are sure to take your breath away.

Michigan

Michigan has a reputation for hosting beautiful autumn seasons. In the Upper Peninsula, for instance, there are 46,000 acres of thick forest in the Tahquamenon Falls State Park alone. Tahquamenon contains several trails for hikers to explore the scenery, and also provides shuttle services to get around easily.

Vermont

A small state packed with dense forests, Vermont has one of the most beautiful autumns around. The town of Burke recognizes this with their annual Foliage Festival. This is a great time for anyone looking to indulge in traditional fall activities, such as bobbing for apples, and hayrides. It’s a great time for the kids; and it’s a great way to appreciate fall’s beauty.

Oregon

Oregon is a perfect place for someone who loves to hike. It’s famous for its forests. In fall, however, Oregon is a perfect place for anyone, hiker or not. The state is quite eco-friendly, which has helped nourish and maintain its greenery. Multnomah Falls is a great spot to take in the sights, as is the famous Japanese Gardens.

Missouri

Especially nice in October, Missouri may surprise you as a destination that hosts beautiful falls. While a number of Americans envision falls in New England and along the East Coast, Missouri sits smack dab in the middle of the states. Still, the Ozark mountain range is famous for its foliage, and a hike through it provides a tour of some of America’s most breathtaking scenery.

Quebec

Take a trip north of the Canadian border and travel towards Quebec. This province will leave you breathless. Montreal is a good place to start, or, if you feel more comfortable on snow skis, try Mont Tremblant. You’ll be amazed at just how much forest runs through Quebec. It’s even more amazing to see it overcome by the gorgeous, wonderful autumn painted landscapes.

These locations boast some of the very best fall seasons North America has to offer. But, of course, you can enjoy fall from anywhere. Take a moment to breathe in crisp air and enjoy the colorful changes. The leaves will fall soon enough. Enjoy autumn while you can.

Read more Segmation blog posts about seasonal colors:

Coloring Each Season with Healthy Food

Colors Solve the “Monster Mash” Mystery

The Stories Behind Holiday Colors

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The Colors of Fall: 5 Shades for a Stylish Season

Fall is rich in color. Changing leaves and autumn décor surrounds us with vibrant scenery. Many people like these colors so much, they choose to infuse their wardrobes with fall colors, too.

Most of the time, traditional fall colors include burnt oranges, rusty browns and deep reds. But for 2014, designers have opted for a diverse, playful palette.

Here are the five colors that will have you looking stylish and turning heads this season:

1. Gray

A strong neutral, gray can be worn from head to toe for a classy, sophisticated look. It’s strongest however when complemented by a drop of color. Think of an orange belt, for instance, or a plum blouse beneath a gray coat. Such combinations allow for a subdue look that still stands out.

The trick is finding the right shade of gray. You will want to find something that matches your complexion. For instance, a blond with light skin tone may want to go with something soft and pale, while brunettes may choose deep tones, like charcoal.

2. Orchid

Radiant orchid is 2014’s Pantone Color of the Year, making it a top color choice for every season.

Orchid is a fun color to play with, allowing for many creative options. Have fun trying them out. One combination sure to pop is orchid and cognac. The look is elegant and classy, striking and unexpected.

3. Orange

More often than not, orange seems to be the color that defines fall. However, just because it is widely accepted doesn’t mean that it is easy to pull off. As with gray, the secret to orange is skin tone. Match the right shade of orange with your unique coloring.

Also, remember that a little orange goes a long way. An orange belt. An orange handbag. The effect this accent color has can be striking.

4. Green

The color green is all around us. Look at nature for a second. There are millions of different colored flowers, all with green leaves and stems. Bright forest green is particularly in fashion this year.

When choosing outfits that include forest green, use contrasting colors to complement it. Think navy. Think plum. You definitely don’t want your colors to clash, and green is extra tricky in this regard. If you go soft with green, go deep with your complementary color, and vice versa. An outfit sure to win is green combined with gray flannel or tweed.

5. Yellow

Don’t shy away from yellow this year. It is the colorful touch you need to brighten up this season. But subtlety is important; don’t go overboard. Know that yellow is especially effective as an accessory.

Yellow has an interesting effect on people’s minds. It’s strongly associated with laughter, happiness, and the sun. These associations can affect our moods and perceptions. Therefore, wearing yellow may give you the ability to brighten people’s days in more ways than one.

These five colors are not your only options for fall, of course. When you wear colors that compliment your skin tone and natural coloring, anything can go. Get experimental and have a little fun. Use the above tips to get started, but add your own flair. Fall 2014 is going to be a great season for the daring stylist.

Read more Segmation blog posts about fall colors:

Leaf Art in your Backyard

Ideas for Creating Halloween Art

Reviving Art as the Heart of Education

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Coloring Each Season with Healthy Food

 

What is your favorite food? While some dishes are enjoyable year round, there are a few seasonal treats that we crave in certain months. For instance, with autumn comes a taste for turkey and pie, especially apple and pumpkin. Winter seems to taunt us all year long with reminders of sweet cookies and hot cocoa. Spring is alive with fruits and vegetables that are coming into season, and summer is the time to grill meats and eat cold treats – like Popsicles.

Regardless of what season we are in, crave-worthy foods find ways into our homes. But we don’t reach for them because of taste alone; these are the foods that color each season. Baskets of jams in winter and bowls of fruit in spring become colorful, edible kitchen décor. But no food colors a kitchen better than fruits and vegetables.

Delectable greens, vibrant berries, plump tree fruits and unearthed veggies add color to each season while sparing us room in our waistlines.

Take a journey with us through each season, reviewing the tantalizing treats that come into our homes each year.

Summer

On a hot summer day, you probably find yourself cooling off in the kitchen. With a berrylicious ice pop in hand, you can treat yourself to a low-calorie, colorful treat.

In a recently released cookbook, “Vibrant Foods” author and photographer Kimberly Hasselbrink features “Summer Berry-Coconut Milk Ice Pops.” Add a splash of color to your freezer and bear the heat with this healthy sweet.

Fall

The rich colors of fall are best found in nature. One type of fruit has colors to match the many autumn hues. Harvested between August and November, a vast variety of apples line grocery stores each year. Pies, sauces, and salad accoutrements are all places where apples appear during this colorful season.

Winter

Winter blues seem to strike in the earliest months of the year. During this time, it’s tempting to let holiday sweets carryover into daily diets, but cutting out these cravings is easy with colorful, homemade soups. Tomato bisque, broccoli-cheddar soup and hearty stews are recipes that add splashes of color to this dreary time of year.

Spring

When the earth comes alive again with thawing temperatures and spring rains, fruits and vegetables begin to appear again. Bringing color into the home and shedding the holiday pounds is simple with green leafy vegetables. In addition to making salads, begin using lettuces to cook and present food. By adding lettuce to sandwiches and garnishing main dishes with the edible green, you can sneak in the vitamins and cancer-fighting qualities while adding a burst of green to every meal.

Food is a part of our daily lives no matter what season we are in. Enjoy rich colors, textures and flavors that complement each season.

Which foods do you like to eat in summer, fall, winter and spring? Share which treats infuse your kitchen with color and add health to your life.

Read more Segmation blog posts about color theory:

Food Never Looked So Good

Thanksgiving Scenes Influence Art

The Stories Behind Holiday Colors

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Leaf Art in your Backyard

Fallen leafs lay on the green grass, sprinkling it with colorful accents. They add a freshness to the autumn season — and here’s a way they can have the same effect on you. Have you ever thought about ways to use leafs as decorations in your home?

In many parts of the world, fall is in full swing. It’s a good time to bring the festive season inside your home. In addition to scented candles (like pumpkin pie and cranberry spice), you can add accents around your home to fully appreciate the comfort this season offers. The best part is, you can find these creative touches in your own backyard or on a stroll around the neighborhood.

All you need:

• Walking shoes
• Newspaper
• Glue

1. As you enjoy the crisp weather outside, pick up the beautiful leafs that catch your attention. It’s a good idea to collect a number of them and store them between the pages of a newspaper. Place a number of pages on top of the page that is folded over the leafs. This will gently flatten the leafs and won’t allow them to curl or crack as they dry.
2. Let the leaves dry between the newspaper pages for a couple of weeks. This presses them into their permanent flat shape and keeps the texture in tact so they have the vein quality leafs have naturally.
3. When the leafs have been successfully flatten between the pages of the newspaper, brush on a thin layer of glue like Mod Podge. This is an all-in-one glue, sealer, and finish.  Let it dry completely before brushing a thin layer on the other side. Then repeat this step by applying a second layer.

Once your leaf creation if fully dry it will be flexible, durable and colorful. Now you can apply your own creativity. Will you hang your leaf art? Scatter them in visible areas? Create a collage with them? The choice is up to you.

Here’s one suggestion: Scatter them around your computer station. You can string some together and drape them over the monitor if you’d like. This way, on the chilly fall days yet to come, you can cozy up with an online art program, like Segmation – Paint by numbers, and explore the artist inside you while enjoying the artistic and festive surroundings you’ve created.

Don’t forget your hot cocoa or warm tea.

Image made available by OregonDOT on Flickr through Creative Common License.

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In Awe of Autumn and Thanksgiving

In Awe of Autumn Patterns Set from Segmation SegPlay® PC (see more details here)

Autumn is one of the four annual seasons and ranges (in the Northern Hemisphere) from September 22th to December 21st. The exact times are measured by the Autumn equinox and the Winter solstice. Autumn is associated with many natural events including harvesting of crops, a cooling of temperatures, a graying of skies, and most noticeably, the changing colors of leaves. Segmation’s “In Awe of Autumn” set contains a colorful array of photographs which depict autumn at its finest. Yellow, red, and orange leaves are shown in numerous forms. Skies are shown with dynamic coloring as well. Rivers, mountains, fields, ducks, apples, and country roads are also shown in fall season.

Segmation’s In Awe of Autumn set contains over 20 paintable patterns in all different painting levels.

You’ll find in our Segmation SegPlay® Thanksgiving pattern collection, many contemporary scenes of the Thanksgiving holiday, including numerous colorful turkeys, cornucopias, pumpkins, pilgrims, thanksgiving art, being thankful and harvests.  Gooble Gooble!

Have fun and relax with beautiful online painting art. So fun and easy to use with no mess but just a mouse!

Be a Artist in 2 minutes with Autumn and Thanksgiving Scenes from Segmation SegPlay® PC (see more details here)

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