Utility Poles in Geyserville

 

Here I tried to capture the last of the glorious fall vineyards in Geyserville, not far from my home. I had to paint fast because nearby workers were pruning the vines while I was painting. This scene is next to Highway 101 and has many utility poles plunked down in the midst of the vineyard. 

Harvest Moon

 

The chapel at Bishops Ranch, a venue from Monday Morning Painters. This painting is rather stylized, with a full moon in the upper right corner, the mysterious building behind the chapel, the small orchard trees which appear to have been pruned, the leafless trees against the sky, and the grass turned viridian from a recent rain.

A Day at the Lake

Whenever I travel to Atascadero to visit my relatives who live there, I always bring along my painting gear, often painting the surrounding vineyards and Santa Margarita Lake. Here is another painting of the lake, a beautiful and peaceful place with twittering birds and fine vistas. 

Sunflowers in a Periwinkle Vase

 

A friend brought me these sunflowers when I invited her for lunch. I placed them in my favorite vase and then painted this very loose image.

 

At Graton Gallery Artist Reception with Jim Spitzer and Bibi Leigner.

Stuhlmuller Tasting Room

 

This morning's painting was at the end of West Soda Rock Lane in Healdsburg, where Stuhlmuller vineyards supply superb grapes to various local wineries. This is a painting of Stuhlmuller Tasting Room.

Gopfrich Estate Vineyards

 

On West Dry Creek, I found this glorious scene, with a view of Saint Helena, vineyards just turning to their fall colors and flowering plums with morning sun lighting their leaves.

Vineyards on Walling Road

 

A local vineyard on Walling Road.

Farm on Yoakim Bridge Road

 



Summer Fog above Alexander Valley

After a number of really, really hot days, the weather turned coolish, with summer fog rising above the Alexander Valley. So my painting buddy and I headed out to paint on location at a nearby vineyard. In this painting, I added a purple color note along the tops of the vines.

Hafner Vineyard, Pine Flat Road

 

At last, I'm out painting again with the Monday Morning Painting group. This painting came together nicely, and I had to paint quickly in order to capture the disappearing fog.

Looking thru the Vineyard

A drive to Calistoga proved to be a treasure trove for plein air painters. The supurb lighting that day helped me create this image. I was standing in the middle of a vineyard in order to cature the red roof of the house in the distance.

Limerick Lane

The weather turned warm and sunny, so I grabbed my painting gear and drove up Los Amigos Road and turned onto Limerick Lane to find a likely spot to paint. The morning fog just burned off, but I was able to capture the residue. With this particular painting, I had covered the painting panel with gray, leaving an impression that the day was cold.

Vines Unbridled

This often painted barn on Slusser Road is one of the several I have painted of this view. Here the image is in late winter, after rains have sprouted the grass and the vines have yet to be pruned. I am alway amazed at how the barn withstands time and remains so stately.

Taming of the Forests Series

 View from BR Cohn Winery

 View from Kunde Vineyards looking through an Olive Grove

View from Kunde Vineyards looking toward San Pablo Bay

These paintings reflect how vineyards are steadily replacing the riparian forests of Sonoma County. But, as a plein air painter, I am fortunate to have the ability to paint from these locations and let others see what I see through my eyes. The Kunde Vineyard paintings were part of a Brent Jensen workshop, where he stressed simple strokes using a brush loaded with paint. The day after attending Brent's workshop, I viewed the Edgar Payne exhibit at the Crocker Museum in Sacramento. After viewing the exhibition, much of what Brent tried to teach his students was reinforced.  

Shimmering Serenity of Sonoma's Vineyards

While wainting for the rain to subside, I painted this from a photo. The colors are tweaked, but laying down the paint was fun.

Sheep in Motion

These darned sheep wouldn't stand still while I was painting them. 

Hopkins Ranch in Springtime

Another painting of the Hopkins Ranch off Eastside Road. I have painted these vineyards several times during the past few years. I like the water tower at the end of the road and the barn. Painting vineyard mustard has always been one of my favorite subjects because of its bright cadmium yellow.