In 1996, while living at the base of the Rocky Mountains in the Chama Valley of New Mexico and at a high 8,000 ft. elevation, I received kitchen table painting lessons from a railroad engineer, watercolorist and best friend. At that time I had discovered the works of Georgia O’Keefe in an old General Store, she had also lived in that same region during her lifetime. Georgia's paintings influenced and kindled my desire to paint. Watercolors were the natural choice of medium for me. It has been my good fortune to have lived in rural country areas with pristine natural settings in many of the Western states. I have a deep admiration and love of nature, it has quieted my soul and spirit so many times. I feel similarly while painting with watercolors, the paints are soft, soothing and the colors mimic those found in nature.

Vineries™ Art Studio has moved from Napa Valley and is now in Rainier, Washington. Washington State is known as the nation's second largest wine producer, crafting wines with remarkable high rankings, drawing to itself international recognition. There are an abundance of vineyards in many different geographical settings across the state, each in it's own vastly different micro-climate. These beautiful vineyard settings produce a variety of spectacular wines such as Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrahs. The natural vineyard settings also offer an abundance of photographic content that I use for reference material when composing my watercolor paintings. The grapevines, as always, are amazing, full of character, dimension and are rich in color.

Currently, I like working with heavy 300 lb. watercolor paper, it stands up to a lot, absorbs and receives many layers of paint and has a beautiful texture that adds dimension and integrity to the art piece. I use high quality artist's paints and brushes and take my time painting the many layers it takes to achieve the desired effect I’m looking for. When a grape “looks good enough to pick and eat” then I’ve captured it’s essence, it looks alive. The finished pieces are archival and heirloom quality fine art pieces that can be enjoyed for many years.

I am excited to explore Washington wineries, vineyards and varietals. As I finish paintings of the wineries, vines and landscapes, they will be shown to you in the Original Paintings page. Giclee prints will be available on the Giclee Prints page and as always, in small Limited Editions of 100, all signed and numbered. The Giclee print method is the highest quality and most advanced technology I have found available using all archival materials.

 

Kathy Lund

Email Kathy
Rainier, WA