Walking around my neighbourhood in Brooklyn in October makes for a memorable time. Occasional spikes of bright orange catch your eye every now and then, and it’s a 50/50 chance that it is either a pumpkin (bonus if it’s carved) or a tree in its glorious fall foliage. And, of course, it is always a delight seeing a skeleton posed waving at you from someone’s window. Halloween is one of my favorite times to be in New York.

Thank you to whoever put these jack-o'-lanterns. Very fun to walk under :D
Thank you to whoever put these jack-o'-lanterns. Very fun to walk under :D

One such walk yesterday brought me back to the serene Greenwood Cemetery. Last year, when I visited around this time, I remember being mesmerized by the shockingly bright red of the trees lining the entrance; so it is a surprise even to me that I delayed my visitation for so long this season. Certainly long enough that those same trees are now past the prime of their colors. Yet, the walk yesterday through the meandering and sprawling pathways was as beautiful as it was peaceful. It was the most gorgeous fall day, sunny and on the warmer side for the season, but the wind was strong, rustling through the trees and carrying their dying leaves gently down, and more than made up for the warmth. What better location to visit during Halloween than this beautiful cemetery?!

Red and gold trees above rows of headstones under a clear blue sky A towering tree in yellow foliage above a narrow cemetery path A leaf-strewn path under an arching canopy of trees Two orange-red trees on a hilltop of headstones beside a winding road
Fall foliage in the Greenwood Cemetery from my walk.

After a walk through the winding ways of the cemetery, I chanced upon this lone bench by a crypt. Initially, I was skeptical of this location, as I wanted to find a spot to paint, and this particular bench didn’t seem to provide any good vantage points to frame any particular subject. But there was something ineffably magnetic about this bench, and sure enough, as I took the seat, the view in front of me suddenly seemed like the perfect landscape to commemorate in the pages of my sketchbook. Perched in my corner of the cemetery, I decided to render out in quick strokes the scene in front of me of the Greenwood slopes bathed in sunlight and adorned by a vignette of autumnal colors. (This is the painting.)

A watercolor sketch of Greenwood Cemetery held up in front of the real view A sketchbook lying open on a wooden bench with a plaque reading In memory of Ben
Thank you, Ben. Hope your rest is peaceful.

Have a Happy Halloween and a Spectacular Spooky Season!
👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃