AUTUMN is a time to enjoy the wonderful view of the colorful foliage in nature. The beautiful fall leaves have also inspired captivating handicrafts in some dexterous hands. Here we present amateur artist Diana Cotter, who has taken dozens of animal photos she created with hundreds of colored leaves. The photos have attracted the attention of the Daily Mail and other newspapers in her home country, the United Kingdom. From the bejeweled feathers of a peahen to a magpie’s monochrome majesty, this is surely a case of leaf imitating art. These wonderful autumnal artworks have been created by Cotter, who spends up to seven hours carefully selecting hundreds of differently colored fallen leaves from her garden in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England to create stunning images of birds and other wildlife. She adds berries, moss and twigs to garden clay bases to create a dazzling final effect and photographs her seasonal creations before they dry out — before putting them in the compost. She says, “The only tools that I use are a wooden plant label used as a drawing implement and a pair of scissors. “It’s all about looking for the right colors. I can see what I am going to do in my mind’s eye.” She adds, “It is quite a mindful experience and when I am doing it, I am not thinking of anything else. I have done flower arranging as a hobby before and that doesn’t last either, so I am used to throwing away my creations!” (SD-Agencies) | 