Part 3 -Painting the Land of Pinot Noir and so much Moir

This is part three 

Hopefully, you’ve jumped into my two previous blogs. Part 1  part 2

By now, a new paradigm, thank you Charlie, was transfixing me.  We had ordered a second glass by then; I think it was probably Oregon wine.

All our ideas, scribbled onto napkins, and tossed back and forth across the table, evolved into plans for one big Oregon vineyard show.   

Help your Bro, Name this Show…

I’ve been busy preparing for the Oregon vineyards art show.  As you recall, my talk with Charlie at the Oil Painters of America Show in Tucson catapulted me into this project.  I’ve lined up the three vineyards and one gallery for the show, which is scheduled for the last two weekends of May. 

 Now, how does a solitary artist go about organizing something that has become so big and feels so fabulous?  With help and hard work, I imagine.  So, here I sit today, looking for your help.

I’m playing with possible titles for the show.  Jump right in:  Should it be cute, classy, fruity-yet-earthy, straightforward …?  What do you think?  

Here, I’ll throw a couple quick ones at you.  These are my sleep-deprived working titles; I can’t tell if they are clever or stupidly cute...or just stupid.  It’s OK.  We’re friends; you can be honest.

1-                 1. May Art and Wine Show

                Featuring Select Oregon Vineyards and the Art of Michael Orwick

           2. Painting the Land of Pinot Noir

        and so much Moir

4-                3. The Beauty of the Vine

     4. An Artist Meets his Wine

     5.  Painting the Land of Pinot Noir

     6- The May Vineyard Show

     7-The Land of Pinot and Moir

     8-Art and Wine Tour

     9-Oregon Vineyards Art Show

            Featuring Orwick Arts

    10-Wine and Design

    11- Views of the Vines

             Unveiling Wine and Art in May

            Featuring Select Oregon Vineyards and the Art of Michael Orwick

Part 2 of Memorial Weekend wine and art tour

Part 2 of Memorial Weekend wine and art tour

a little part of how and what this show is about.

After discussing the vineyard scenes of the Oregon’s valleys, Charlie, of Primary Colors Consulting, pointed out that I had entered two national competitions and got into both, so why shouldn’t I submit more often on this scale?  The answer was easy:  as soon as I finish a painting, I send it off to the next gallery in line and I keep nothing back.  As the economy slumped, I’ve tended to paint smaller works, a safer bet to sell.  My strategy has been working, and I have been barely able to keep up with the galleries’ requests.  But here was my friend, Charlie, asking me to slow down and work on a collection of larger pieces, focusing on the magnificent, rolling vineyards of Oregon.  It was time to up the game and face the next big challenge.

The idea of one big solo show grabbed me.  I recalled my three large landscapes, each 48” by 72,” which were recently installed in my hometown’s new library.  Producing a unified body of work had been invigorating, and I’ve been wanting to create more large scale paintings since then.  So…

Part 3

Funny how things start

This is part 1 of how the big four venue art and wine tour show has come to be.

Fruity and Earthy

Her questions raced about my mind.  Charlie Boguz, my friend and the owner of Primary Colors Consulting, had met me at the Legacy Gallery during the opening for the Oil Painters of America show in Tucson, Arizona. We had a chance to break away for a bite to eat and a glass of  wine.  So, here we were at lunch, on the premise of talking about my career.  It was a shockingly short discussion, but Charlie was smart and knew how to lead me by asking many what ifs, have you thought abouts, or would it be possible type queries.  Her questions were going to lead to something big. 

We’re on to Something Here

Soon she was asking about my next series of images, and I told her I realized the irony that my paintings were often inspired by far off locations, as if I felt I should travel to find beautiful scenery.  I live in the Pacific Northwest! It’s one of the most diverse, mysterious places I know, and I recalled the adage that we can mine for diamonds in our own backyard.  And my back yard is spilling over with mountains, streams, moody weather, towering evergreens, and seas that reach to the orient.  Another sip of wine, and we were seriously talking about Oregon’s famed vineyards.  I told her how popular my occasional paintings of Oregon vineyards had been, and Charlie knew we were onto something.

Part 2 of Memorial Weekend wine and art tour

the beginning of the Oregon Vineyards series

I'm so excited to be starting a great big project that I promise to tell you all about, but for now just know that it revolves around the amazing vineyards that grow near my home in Oregon. More information to come soon.

This is one of the first paintings, it is called "Post Harvest Glow".

It is a scene from Sokol Blosser Vineyard, one of my favorites. They are always so friendly to me, they love having artists out there to paint and their wine is fantastic.

This painting can be found at my newest gallery which just so happens to be in the very area I'm painting.

Art Elements Gallery

604 East 1st Street

Newberg, OR 97132

(503) 487-6141

Post Harvest Glow 24x30 oils on canvas panel by Michael Orwick 2010