California wine growing really is the new gold rush—and in autumn the vines turn gold, literally. It’s a magnificent time to visit wine country, even if you don’t drink wine, as is the case for yours truly. Some Italian I am, right? For my father, first generation, and a wine-maker, it was practically unforgiveable. Every fall, he commandeered the crush which took place in an outdoor clawfoot bathtub using our bare feet. (No wonder I don’t drink wine, lol. And his wine was terrible! I have no idea how he drank it all year long.)

Yet, undeniably, I am captivated by wine country: the rolling hills, the geometry and vanishing point of the rows, the tantalizing aroma, the giant oaks, I don’t need the wine to swoon. There is an aroma, an aura, a feeling of fertility and luxury. I think it’s ancient. En vino vita.

Harvest on the Easel

Autumn Vineyard is inspired by Wise Villa Vineyard in Lincoln, California. While the sun set and my friends sipped wine and nibbled prosciutto, I walked the entire family-owned vineyard snapping pictures. Later, in the studio, I used a palette of fire and shadow and laid the paint down in thick textured brushstrokes to create this golden hour-golden autumn painting.

A Toast to the Muse

Van Gogh painted The Red Vineyard near Arles—a scene pulsing with copper light and working figures among ruby leaves. It’s said to be the only painting he sold in his lifetime. I think of him chasing that light, trying to bottle it before it slipped away. This one’s for you, Vincent. Which happens to be my father’s name, too. You two can sort this out.

The original Autumn Vineyard is sold, but giclee prints on canvas are available. This piece is also available on Samsung Frame Art TV. Just enter Lauren Forcella in the search bar.

Beauty Activates the Brain’s Pleasure Centers

Here’s some hope for you: When you look at art you find beautiful, it stimulates pleasure centers within the brain. This increases blood flow up to 10 percent in the frontal cortex which leads to an elevated mood (Culture Collective, 2016). The brain reacts much like it does when you are in love.

Autumn Vineyard, 30 x 40 in, 2023, oil on canvas by Lauren Forcella

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