To find out about The Full Moon Art Challenge and learn how to join in, visit the event page

October’s round of the Full Moon Art Challenge lands on October 27th, 28th and 29th, with the actual full moon rising on October 28th.

The LUNAR CALENDAR poster for 2024 is now available in the shop!

The Seed Fall Moon Will Rise and Fall

The old Celtic name for October’s full Moon is the Seed Fall Moon. Considering that April’s moon was named the Seed Moon, I assume that a lot of Medieval life must have revolved around seeds.

Here’s the animated GIF:

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Here’s the reliable static image. This time, it’s not just a frame from the animation – I moved the objects around a bit for a better composition. It captures more of the essence of the animation and lets you appreciate the rich autumn colors:

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Finally, Here’s the movie version. It doesn’t loop, but it has simple audio, which I enjoy:

This time, I wanted to draw trees that I was familiar with, but also trees that grow in Ireland and England, where this moon name originated. The tree on the left is a Field Maple, partly because I like the shape of their leaves, but mostly because I wanted to animate those little helicopter seeds. The branch on the right belongs to a crab apple tree, because I wanted something that dropped its seeds in small, round shapes. They look good together, don’t they?

Easy as Falling Off a Log (or branch)?

Animating leaves and seeds reminded me that simple things are not always easy just because they’re simple. If something is out of place in a piece without a lot of complicated details, that error will stand out. Simple art is unforgiving.

Much like March’s Wind Moon, I found myself stuck fussing over the careful placement of the drifting objects and the precession timing of minuscule movements. The end result looks like an easy project, but it takes a surprising amount of time and care.

I’m pleased with the result. Sure, I could have added more frames to change the angles of the falling leaves and infused a bit more realism to the scene, but in the end, it didn’t need more than simple shapes.

This one feels especially meditative, a good thing to stare at if you need a minute to clear your mind or shake off some stress.

And in November…

November’s full moon, the Mourning Moon, will rise on the 27th. Share your Mourning Moon art on November 26th, 27th, or 28th.