A Wine Bottle, Glass and Grapes

Wine and Grapes, Oil on Canvas 8" x 10"

I traveled to paint with my friends in Oregon Illinois. Due to the “snowbird” factor, several members will be in warmer climates over the next few months. This could be one of our last painting sessions for awhile.

We collaborated on a still life set up. I have enjoyed the challenge of working with this cloth. I love the effect and opportunities that the colors and shapes create. A couple members have requested that we never work with it again.

I was determined to head back to Rockford shortly after lunch, so I opted to work on a small canvas this day. I set to work but I encountered some difficulties capturing some of the shapes in the design. After battling through that and starting the block in of shapes, I realized that my design was not working, I had a real stinker in the works.

Mineral Spirits, a rag, and a few moments later, the painting was gone. Now I had a toned canvas. Unfortunately, I lost about thirty to forty minutes in the process.

I started over. The drawing went quickly and I felt the design was a better fit. I worked really fast to push paint in place, adjust colors, values, lines and finished by our lunch break.