The Winter Prune

Whenever I drive around the Napa Valley, I always take my camera with me.  There is always something going on in the vineyards.

The mustard isn't showing in this shot but it is there in other pictures.

Several years ago I took some photos of the field workers pruning the the long canes off of the cordons, which is the lateral growth.  The mustard was already blooming and I was taken by how careful this man was with the vine.  Even though I am sure he had cut thousands of canes, he still was treating this cut as important. 

My rough, beginning sketch

The Winter Prune - 18 x 18

This painting is on it's way to Mason Cellars Tasting Room in Napa later this week for a show with my Bay Area Studio Artists group.  I have one more painting to finish and then it's off to do the hanging!