Vineyard at Brooks Farm

Was late arriving at the Art/Ag project in Brooks CA but did a few sketches and then started painting.  What a glorious day for plein air painting.  It couldn't be better for getting outside to paint.  So many details become apparent when painting on site as opposed to the studio using sketches and photos.  The shadows dazzle you on a sunny day.  This painting was done entirely on location and in an hour and half.  Sometimes when rushed, you find some new skills or results.

Bit of Tuscany in California

My neighborhood has all sorts of houses and most are on very small lots. As you can see from the actual photo, this is a big house and someone planted a small vineyard right next to it. I jog by quite often and am brought back to Italy by the architecture and pines. I did take some license with the arrangement but had fun painting it from across the gulley that runs along side. It started out as a cold morning but warmed up and was a great day for painting.