Today is for the wine lovers out there! This is one of the various drawings from this month’s draw-a-day self-imposed idiocy. I think even oenophiles would have trouble recognizing this drawing at first glance, but it hopefully becomes apparent that this is a grape vine. An old, grape-less, dead vine, but a grape vine nonetheless.
The reference photo is from my visit to The Piccolo Hotel (great place, btw) in Paso Robles, California. I didn’t realize what it was at first – I just thought it was a cool wood carving over the fireplace in the lobby. But when you get to looking at it in more detail, and taking into account the location (wine country!), the reality sets in that this is the epitome of upcycling! This grapevine, while alive, provided tasty wine… and in death is transformed into art! What’s not to love about that!
As an art subject, it was very tricky initially. I thought it was going to be a disaster, in large part due to the details involved, but perseverance won out and all the wavy lines and dark circles coalesced into a pretty decent drawing. More importantly, it was a lot of fun to draw and something I’ve added to the short-list of formal compositions. Drawing or painting, I’m not sure which… maybe both.
One final comment: Paso Robles wine is excellent! Makes sense, right? I mean, c’mon, the vines are beautiful, alive or dead!
#austinart #artbern #berntx #crashboomzip #abplanalp #austinartists #stilllife #drawing #graphite #wine #oenophile #pasorobles #thepiccolohotel #sketch #staypiccolo #california.wines
Art Bern 
Very nicely done, Bern! Those twists and turns, and especially dealing with the foreshortening, can be so tricky. Definitely worth thinking about painting this subject.
LikeLiked by 1 person