Vineyard Yoga

The Yoga Bliss Festival has been such a wonderful experience to share with my daughter, Michaela!  Our first Mother-Daughter trip together, this retreat has deepened our special bond.  The experience was magical, and we had fun exploring new classes with open minds.  This truly is a place to restore body, mind and spirit, made so much better when sharing with family.  I have so many paintings forming in my mind's eye, I look forward to letting them fall off my brush when the time is right.  I hope to share this special event with the rest of my daughters next year!  Painting number 4600 in 4600 days. 

Vineyard Walk

Briefly, the sky brightened to a peachy hue, and I captured it in paint before the downpour! Sugar Creek Winery is a lovely place to gather and paint!  This will be at my wet paint sale on Saturday from noon to 4 in the town center of Augusta, Missouri. Come see my paintings of the week!  Painting number 5170 in 5170 days. 

Augusta Homestead

 

What a lovely way to start the morning in Augusta!  With an hour and a half of spare time before heading to Sunflower Hill Farm, I couldn't resist painting this grand building with the vineyard rows leading toward it.  It feels so European here, just painting the scene transported me to another place and time.  It feels wonderful to be painting in Augusta again!  Painting number 5162 in 5162 days. 

Stonehaus Farms Vineyard

 

It was super fun to explore this local winery with paint!  I hadn't been here before, so that made the day extra special.  A wine tasting after painting led to a lovely glass of wine to share with artist friends. Every paint out should end this way!  This painting is number 5077 in 5077 days and is now showing at the Lee's Summit City Hall.

Farmhouse Vineyard

Arriving just in time for the quick paint at White Mule Winery, I searched for a scene that grabbed me.  For the first time here, I found this north vineyard adorned in it's autumn color!  I stepped back into the isle far enough to gain the right composition, with the farmhouse in shadow in the background.  The challenge of the wild vines leading to the cool structure of the house was invigorating - especially for a quick paint!  I painted fast, trying to get all described before bringing the masses together.  I love finding a new scene to paint at a place I've painted before, makes the painting experience fresh again.  That farmhouse is a lovely bed and breakfast just steps from the White Mule Winery.  Painting number 3937 in 3937 days. 
 

Path Along the Vineyard

 

Love spending a day in a beautiful vineyard with paint!  The winding road along the vinyard was picturesque and absolutely needed to be painted!  I love my oils for a landscape like this - thick and buttery for all that texture.  I long for a vineyard of my own, to paint whenever I need a good vineyard fix!  Painting number 3871 in 3871 days. 

Path to the Vineyard

You know I couldn't resist painting a vineyard path! I've painted on the strip very late tonight, attending a Hot Summer Nights car show.  Although it was fun, it was packed beyond reason! I am now so tired I am falling asleep while posting on my phone - so I will sign off for now and hopefully fill this out more later.  Painting number 4301 in 4301 days. 

 

Wine Country Road

This road leading back to the vineyard is a perennial favorite of mine, hooking me each time I return to the Sugar Creek Winery.  In the early light, I composed my painting, blocking in masses with my paint. As I worked, I lifted my mug of hot, loose leaf tea from the ground at the side of the road. As I lifted it to my mouth, I noticed something black on my black mug.  I tried to brush it away, but it was stuck, so I pinched it with my fingers to lift it up - and guess what it was on the closed mouth of my mug?  A LEACH!!  I wiped off the lid, removed it to drink from the edge, and put my other hand below it to bring out to my mouth, and guess what was on the bottom mug?  ANOTHER BLACK LEACH!!  Well, that's a plein air first for me, I've never seen leaches out of the river, let alone on the edge of a road leading uphill.  I finished my painting, enjoyed the morning and forgot about those silly leaches.  I put my mug on the road after that!  Painting number 3411 in 3411 days. 

Rainy Day at Lake Creek

I love coming to Lake Creek Winery to paint!  The pastoral scenes and sweeping landscape are an artist's dream - even on a rainy day!  I set up as rain threatened, getting everything dry as sprinkles started.  I first did a pen and ink, and was having so much fun that I sketched right into my paint time. Everything is timed, but no matter, I wanted to finish the ink - and frame it- before rain turned my painting into smeary blackness.  So I did, leaving myself short for this delightful scene!  You can't tell it here, but it rained very hard as I painted under their shelter, rain even flooding the floor around me, like a lake filling up! I had on my wellies and was standing on a thick yoga mat, so I didn't get too wet. We all squeezed into the center of that cover as the wind blew the heavy rain in.  Plein air is not for the faint of heart! Still, I loved painting this, and this painting has a new home, too!  Painting number 3399 in 3399 days. 

Road to the Vineyard

This is my first trip to the Seven Springs Winery in Linn Creek, Missouri - and WOW, what a lovely place it is!  The vineyards spill over the hills beautifully, begging to be painted!  The garden surrounding the winery is lush and abundant, yet not quite touched by the sun this early morning.  So, I turn to the vineyard.  With sun peaking in and out I am able to get some shadows, adding interest to the grasses. With brushwork, I boost those masses, lending interest to those and areas.  After two weeks of long days in the hot sun, my paints are beginning to tack up.  It adds a body and thickness not present two weeks ago, but I will certainly need to do some palette clean up when I return home.  Keeping them on ice in my trunk doesn't last all day in this kind of heat!  If only I could find a better cold bag for them!  Painting number 3134 in 3134 days. 

Road to the Vineyard

Oh my, what a perfect morning for capturing that early light!  With fleeting light, I like to lay in my darkest darks and lightest lights, so I can compare all other colors with those two. I am using a mix of black and Alain alizarin crimson for marking darks this week.  I like they way it warms up those deepest dark areas, abs it gives me a nice color to push other masses into.  Painting number 3031 in 3031 days. 

Afternoon at Noboleis

 I headed out to scout with oils on board, and when I found this spot I realized I would HAVE to use my pen and ink!   So, hauling all is my gear back to the car, I switched gears and gathered up my ink gear. Hiking down to the vineyard, I looked up at the buildings on the hill and started to sketch. With pen and ink I drew in each one, coming back in with my favorite TWSBI Diamond mini fountain pen loaded with Levenger's Raven Black ink.  With a little water I was able to achieve the mid tones I wanted, and headed back to the car to frame up.  This was the quick paint, only two hours of paint time, but it didn't take me that long.  I really love my pen and ink, and it is always a good day when I'm sketching!  This painting sold right away, and it will hang in the office of Nobeleis Vineyard.  Painting number 3028 in 3028 days. 

Red Moose Vineyard Inked

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What a lovely morning to land in a gorgeous vineyard with pen and ink!  Using my favorite gold TWSBI Diamond fountain pen and Raven Black ink by Levenger, I let the painting unfold with line and wash.  A little water adds to the depth and precedes the oil painting to come.  This place is beautiful and peaceful, and the clouds offer a little shelter from my place in the full sun!  Love this plein air life!  Painting number 2767 in 2767 days. 

Albonee Vineyard

My very linear roots love the perspective of receding rows of grapevines!  With all rows leading to the vanishing point, I'm drawn right into the vineyard.  Sitting on my three legged stool, I set my watercolor half pan set on the ground as I ink.  Sometimes, I stand for this, but today I want a lower vantage.  I only have time for ink and watercolor, but I long for my oils in such a scene. My water brush pen is almost empty, but I'm close to a pond, if I need to refill it.  I've used fountains, ponds, creeks and even puddles when I had to! It seems I'm always running out of water!  I do keep an extra water bottle in the trunk, just in case.  But who wants to hike back to the car?  Painting number 2458 in 2458 days.

View from the Vineyard

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I was pleasantly surprised by the rolling hills and vista as I approached the Albonee Country Inn and Winery.  Invited to speak to the Blue Springs Art League this morning, I was already composing paintings in my head!  After discussing plein air, daily painting and favorite tools with a lovely group of women, I popped outside for a quick paint during the business portion of the meeting. Stepping in as they wrapped up, with cake and visiting we said our goodbyes, and this painting went home with Judy!  Painting number 2455 in 2455 days.

Paxico Vineyard - Prairie Fire Winery

I did not believe there were vineyards in the Flint Hills until I saw them!  What a beautiful place to paint and enjoy a glass of wine!  Painting number 2439 in 2439 days.

Heavy with Grapes

On this very hot day in the Flint Hills, I was fortunate to have a pop up tent, graciously provided for me by the owner of the winery.  I had planned to set up in the shade for the day's festivities, but this view of the vineyards was only gained from the full sun!  This vine was heavy with white grapes - so fun to paint!  Painting number 2398 in 2398 days.

Vineyard in the Flint Hills

This is the first time I've painted a vineyard with the Flint Hills in the background!  It was 97 degrees with a heat index of 106 - very toasty indeed!  Bob and his Prairie Fire Winery were wonderful hosts - even delivering sangria to us artists!  His pop up tent was a lifesaver for me today - and allowed me to paint in the vineyard with this amazing view!  Painting number 2374 in 2374 days.

Evening in the Vineyard

I could not have fit another painting into this day, no matter what!  This evening quick paint in the vineyard is my fifth painting of the day and I feel like I've run a marathon!  The light has been absolutely gorgeous, and rain is expected.  So how could I waste a minute of quality painting light?  Time spent painting in a vineyard is always time well spent!  Painting number 2305 in 2305 days.

Prairie Fire Vineyard with House

I loved the vintage charm of this brick building, especially when viewed from up in the vineyard.  Standing in the full sun with my ink pens and water brushpens in my pocket, I started to sketch.  As I worked, hikers along the trail to the hilltop visited with me.  Serenaded by meadow larks with the prairie behind me, I composed my lines and added a little water.  The wide open vista beyond makes one feel very small in this vast space.  Who knew I would love these wide, open spaces?  Painting number 1983 in 1983 days.

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