“Vines of Autumn” 30″ x 40″ oil and metal leaf on canvas – $3,000
I have spent the last few months painting a single subject – grapevines – and becoming more fascinated with them with each painting. This is not surprising, since my research on the subject in books and magazines devoted to the wine industry shows that everyone involved with every aspect of it – growers, wineries and wine connoisseurs are passionate about their roles.
The reason for my single-minded concentration on grapevines is a show at Cathedral Ridge Winery in Hood River, Oregon scheduled for fall. This is the first time I have had the luxury of creating paintings on a single theme and I’m enjoying exploring a variety of ways to illustrate the different seasons of growth.
Although Oregon is considered “wine country” and I’ve seen vineyards for years, appreciating the pattern of rows of grapevines, I was never tempted to paint them until I saw a graceful plant in a private garden two years ago. I appreciated the way it created its own composition of tangled vines and the different colors and sizes of the leaves along with the clusters of plump grapes. Since then, I’ve also visited vineyards and the Home Orchard Society gardens to photograph the development of the vines in different seasons.
All of the paintings for the winery show are in my technique of oil and metal leaf and I’m also trying to create a variety of background patterns and tones of the metal leaf. The painting above is an example of an abstract depiction of the vineyard rows along with the more realistic treatment of the leaves and grapes.
I will be showing more of the winery paintings in the weeks before the reception on September 28. Here is a link to their site. https://www.cathedralridgewinery.com/event/joan-metcalf-art-exhibit-opening/
