Here's a step-by-step of a studio painting I did. Based on a photo plus memory and observation. I wanted to evoke the feeling of strong, rich autumn color -- lots of heat, but then contrasted with little bits of cooler color. But most importantly, I wanted to move away from the highly-representational and move more toward the abstract. It's not that abstract, of course, as you can see see the tree and its limbs and even the twigs!