The Pear Tree and Vineyard in Spring

I've sketched this scene before and much has changed since I painted it last winter. The northward moving sun has warmed up the earth, and saffron-gold California poppies have replaced yellow mustard. Most of the grasses have morphed from green to yellow, orange, and dusty purple. The pear tree, recently all bare branches, was covered in fluffy white “popcorn ball” blossoms that attract bees. In the distance, a cover crop has grown tall amongst the vines pruned in February, and several wooden vine posts now sag from the weight of winter rains.
(The full story can be read on my blog: http://www.theartistontheroad.com/?p=3051 )