On an anniversary trip to Italy several years ago, we were driving through Tuscany and came across this lovely vineyard. The soft, dusty
blue skin of these grapes, destined for a fine wine on someone's table, are so unlike the standard red and green grapes that I buy at the
grocery store. What a gift, these fruit of the vine!
On a 16x20 canvas I started by sketching the basic placement of the grape bunches, vines, and leaves.
One of the things that I loved about the photo was the way the dark values all connected in interesting shapes. So in this step my goal was to paint the dark areas in a way that simplified the busyness and made sure I stayed true to that original inspiration. Everything that I left unpainted (below) would remain a light value in the final painting.
Just a few strokes later (ha! not really) and here you go:
Fruit of the Vine, 16x20 Oil, available
