Dana 

My husband and I have been farming grapes in the Dry Creek Valley region of Sonoma County since 1979. Vineyards are the main subject matter of my paintings. Winter vines with their crooked limbs dancing in the mustard, spring California orange poppies against the bright green rush of bud break, deep lush summer vines, and the full range of harmonious earth colors found in the autumn highlights of the late harvest vineyards create the rhythm of my life as a painter.

When I took classes at the San Francisco Art Institute, the emphasis was to experience the full range and qualities of the paint itself. I have developed a coherent style of thickly painted surfaces with a high key intuitive and natural color palette. Following in the Impressionistic tradition, I paint mostly en plein air, or on location, while the larger formats are composed and painted in the studio.   Exploring composition, mood, and the wildness found in nature, I continue to be fascinated by the variations in the vineyards, even painting the same vine throughout the year.  As each vineyard has its unique micro climate and eco system, I can approach each painting with a fresh awareness and interest.

Throughout the vineyards are lakes, rivers, orchards, farms and the impressive and stately Redwoods that I paint regularly.  I can say with experience that sustaining a lifetime of painting evolves from a foundation of drawing, discipline and love.