"A Very Good Year" 30x40 acrylic, oil on canvas I have always loved the sensuous wonders of the land, the water and the sky. Watching the early morning light rays beaming through the oak trees; taking in deep breaths of wet air during sunset beach walks; or standing in vineyards on furiously hot days. It's all glorious to me. These are my romantic notions of nature and the evidence of a higher power right here where I live. "A Very Good Year" is a painting I wanted to make after a wine tasting tour in the dark cellars of a local vintner. This row of wine bottles in a window alcove caught my eye. In the cool, dark room I saw the brightness of this still life. The sunlight sparkled through the colored glass bottles like stained glass windows of a French cathedral. The outside heat and brightness pleased and inspired me. At that moment I made a mental snapshot and vowed to paint this harmonic image of the intimate still life against the vastness of the unending landscape. This painting was made in my studio barn located in the rolling hills of California's central coast vineyards. My painting style is all about the glowing light and the fervor of translucent color. On canvas, the painting began as a loose interpretative watercolor sketch. Next, I built multiple layers of acrylic colors, finishing up the final two layers in oil glazes. For me, this building process of making a painting exemplifies my love for all things made by hand... man making art using materials found on earth. The final result is the visual beauty of a handmade image. Click HERE to read our Copyright Statement. Copyright ©1995-2013 Robert Burridge. All rights reserved. Back to Projects Page