Upper Reach

"Upper Reach" is my take on the view of one of my favourite wineries in the Swan Valley, Upper Reach Winery. I took my young daughter here over Easter, it was one of those rainy days where it would rain for a bit and then the skies would clear. I took a chance taking her here, the indoor restaurant was closed on this day and I couldn't remember if the other area was undercover so I crossed my fingers and off we went.
It rained on the way but once we got there, it cleared up, we secured a lovely spot undercover and near a heater. Being one of those rainy days, there were only a few people so we got to enjoy our food peacefully with the two winery dogs nestled near our feet. My daughter did some colouring and I took in the surrounds - a near perfect day with my most special girl.
Upper Reach is a beautiful winery, expansive vineyards surrounded by big trees - it's just one of my favourite places to be! As we left our perfect little spot on a perfect little day, I turned to get into the car and caught this view and thought it had to be captured. Everyone takes pictures of the vines but I love the front of the winery as well, the cosy entrance seems to hide the secret of the beautiful view out the back.
I wanted to capture not only this gorgeous view but this special moment with my daughter. I hope this painting has captured the moody rainy sky, the cute cottage out the front but most of all the stillness that I will always associate with this day. The peace of not having huge crowds because the rain kept them away and the tranquility of a slow lunch. It's these small, unassuming moments that I will treasure forever.

** Please note: the canvas is unstretched, leaving you the option to stretch or to stretch and frame. **

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Hi there!
A bit about my work - I believe it leans towards expressionism and abstract art, perhaps with nods to impressionism and fauvism. A little bit modern, maybe even a little bit cartoon. I paint in multiple layers, working with brushes and palette knives, typically finishing with markers and paint pens. I enjoy working with landscapes and familiar places, trying to create a sense that you, the viewer, have been there before or are there in the moment.

A bit about me - I am a lot of things, none of them perfect! I am flawed, I am impatient but I try to be kind and make others comfortable, especially when we're most likely to be uncomfortable. I am a mother to an incredible daughter who I named after Salvador Dali (the Dali part, not the Salvador part!) and I have two sausage dogs, Mr Chips and Frankie who will often be lazing about in the sunshine in my studio. I've been drawing and painting since I was a kid - I started with drawing houses because I loved the new homes section of the weekend paper and then I switched to portraits when I was a teenager. I started delving into landscapes and abstracts around 2015/16 and have changed my style a million times since then. My hope is that my style continues to evolve and develop distinctly so that you will recognise a Kirsty Hay painting instantly.