Cowichan Raptors Fundraising Event

On September 9th Crushed Grape Art Studio and Deol Estate Winery are proud to support the Cowichan Raptors Center located on Herd Road.  Robyn will be on location from 1 to 3:30 with a live raptor for individuals to pose and take photos with.  There will be a fundraising raffle for an original acrylic painting and 10% of all wine sales will go towards the foundation during the hours of 11-5.  More information can be found on Deol Estate Winery's news page.

Here is a preview of Katrina Espetveidt's painting for the raffle.  There will also be Owl creations by Natalie Bannister and Wildlife Photography courtesy of Karen Holmes.  So come taste the wine and enjoy supporting the local wildlife!

Deol Estate Winery Barn and Poppies

In the early start of summer we had beautiful poppies growing on the grounds of Deol Estate Winery.  I used them as inspiration for my latest painting called Winery Poppies.  It's a mixed style of pointillism and whimsical brushstrokes that combine to make this finished artwork.  Art cards are available!

New Additions to the Winery.

In the past few months we have been making leaps in creating and designing new original artwork and an atmosphere one can browse in a historic Cowichan Valley farm house.  Well, I'm proud to announce that we have some new additions to the winery!  Our local barn swallow has had her babies hatch this week!  Don't they remind you of muppets?

The progress of the art studio is in the works.  A big thanks goes out to Scott Bannister for the construction of our lovely display boards.  As you can see we have a lot of room to hang paintings.  Also, in the basket you can see a sneak preview of painting from local artist Natalie Bannister.  More to come later in regards to her own experience at Crushed Grape Studio!

Spring Apple Blossoms

Most of my inspiration has come from our deck!  This April I was inspired by the beautiful apple tree in bloom on the back porch.  The deep hues of violet on the vines seemed like a nice contrast against the soft hues of the apple blossoms.  

Winter Rose Hips

Last December I was inspired by the bushes of rose hips on the Cowichan Valley Trail.  They were brilliant rubies against a blue carpet on a rather dull winter day. 

The Start of My Studio

Here is a picture of my studio on day one, May 5th, 2012.  It consists of my easel, a basket full of fresh canvas and the progress of my first painting.  The painting is inspired by a picture I took in December on my walk home from the winery and features rose hips against a cold blue sky.

I have worked at Deol Estate Winery over the last year and have found myself inspired by the scenery and the family who owns the vineyard.  The area inspired me to capture the subtle but brilliant moments of the vineyard in a collection of acrylic paintings.  It has given me the opportunity to express myself and capture the natural beauty of the Cowichan Valley so I can share it with others.  So I welcome you to explore some of those moments through this blog.  I will posting the inspirational images alongside my finished paintings and will also have post the progression of my studio.  Enjoy!