Summer Zinfandel

Original sold

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There’s nothing like a deadline to put a fire under my butt to get painting. I really wanted to have something to submit to the California State Fair Art of Wine exhibit the summer of 2011. I had a painting accepted in that category the previous three years in a row and I wanted to try again, but I didn’t have any originals that hadn’t yet been submitted to this exhibition.

I had been deliberating for a while about whether or not to paint this image. I loved some aspects of it – the fun colors of the grapes, the detail in the leaves and especially the grapes that are peeking from behind and above the upper left leaf. I couldn’t make that up. Something about the composition seemed busy and that’s what had me wondering if it I really wanted to spend the time on this one. I’ve learned from past images and paintings that sometimes a just-ok photo can be a wonderful painting. Besides, I didn’t have any better candidates. In I dove.

This is the second of two paintings I finished in April 2011, after spending five months and only finished one painting. It felt good to be able to sit down and focus on my work.

The leaves on the left side were pretty scary. My mind told me I had no idea how to paint them. I just sat down and gave it a go. The first time I stood back from it after painting a section, I was blown away at how the pillowy texture of the lower veined leaf came to life. It’s so odd how up close, it’s messy and just a bunch of brush strokes, yet from a distance it comes alive. The mystery of art shows up again.

April 2011 – 30″x22″ – Watercolor on paper