Same Subject – But Two Different Paintings 24/09/2011 The ‘vendange’ is in full swing here in the Languedoc, so I was inspired to put paint to paper and here are the results….so far. It’s a fabulous time of the year. We are still blessed with big blue skies, heart warming sunshine and the happy feeling that the vines are giving up their heavy load to be turned into wine for us to enjoy. It’s a relationship, as is often the case, between mankind and nature. Then when they have given up their voluptuous fruit, their leaves begin to change colour as they fall to the ground to help replenish the vines as they rest during the winter. I pass vineyards everyday, and it keeps me in touch with the seasons and I marvel at the range of colours that both the leaves and the grapes can offer. From lime green to blackberry the process is a joy to behold, so I just had to get out the paint and have a go. I wanted to express not just the colours but also that feeling juice, sunshine and the sense that each row of vines stretches on and on with layer upon layer of leaves and fruit. The first painting has a very light and translucent feel to it. Whereas the second one has a feeling of a heavy harvest, a dense growth revealing the gnarled twisted hard wood that has supported the grapes year after year. The harvest goes on and I think, so will I. The magical process of working with watercolours layer upon translucent layer never ceases to give me an enormous amount of pleasure in the process of ‘the doing’ They both measure 350 cms x 450 cms and are worked in watercolour paints and pencils.