Summertime Vines

I last painted this scene in November as part of my Foothill Vines series which charted the growth of the vines as early summer gave way to late autumn and the bright greens of the leaves turned to deep burnished reds and oranges. I hadn't been back there since that last painting but the other day when G and I found ourselves driving out along Foothill Road again on a sunny day in July I was struck anew by the remarkable composition of this iconic scene; the vines marching down in glorious abandon to almost engulf the red ranch house below, the tapestry of trees sat like a little village in the centre, and the majestic sun-drenched mountains rising up to tower over the entire blazing landscape. It truly was glorious and what a joy it was to paint!