a vineyard in watercolour

Painting Summer Vines and an Old Barn in France

This super pretty scene is painted from a photo taken by Elysia on our second day sketching on location during last month’s painting holiday in France with Perigord Retreats.

I remember us all gathered in the welcome shade of those big, beautiful trees, with the gentle sound of the river flowing just behind us. The day felt almost suspended in time — surrounded by the intense greens of high summer, the quiet hum of insects, and countless rustic old barns tucked among the vines. It turned out to be one of our favourite sketching days of the whole trip.

Back in the studio, I couldn’t resist turning this view into a new watercolour tutorial. There’s so much to love about it: the soft greens of the summer vines, the warm stone of the barn, and the natural one-point perspective that draws your eye right down the vineyard path into the heart of the scene. Painting it felt like stepping back into that peaceful summer morning.

If you’d like to see how I painted it step by step — and maybe bring a little bit of that French summer magic to your own sketchbook — come and join me!
👉 www.walden.co.nz/learn