Life in Layers

“Layer by layer art strips life bare.” - Robert Musil

I stumbled on the quote above from Robert Musil the other day. After reading it several times, I was in complete awe. Read it again if you haven’t already. Wow!

What in the world is he talking about? When you start painting and really appreciating the elements of any artistic piece, your perspective of the world changes. You start to notice the colors, the details, the imperfections, and the basic elements that were seemingly not there before.  It’s almost as if your eyes are open for the first time.

"Morning Mist"

Also, as many of you know, painting can be a layering process. From a blank canvas you build the background. Layer upon layer of paint. Layer upon layer of color to create the perfect shades. Then comes the actual subject being painted. Take “Morning Mist” for example. The shoreline takes shape. The bones of the trees make their appearance on the canvas. The foliage adorns the trees. Suddenly the trees are reflected on the water’s surface. A mist rises up off of the water. The painting that started as a blank canvas now portrays the morning mist of Saluda Shoals Park. Layer by layer, starting from the bare bones, you create your own version of reality, your vision of life.

Life itself is a layering process. Every day we build knowledge, grow, improve and have experiences that make us who we are. The same is true in business. You may have noticed some of the changes that have been happening at Grapes and Gallery. We have spent the last two years creating an environment where you can explore your inner artist and paint your day. At the same time, we have been building the background for a larger vision. Over the past few months, we have expanded our offering to include painting supplies, rearranged the easels, repurposed wooden pallets into a bar, and gotten visitors accustomed to the idea of having a divider between the the front area and the painting area. We have also renovated the downstairs to make it a relaxing area people want to visit. Layer upon layer, we are painting a new tomorrow.

Part of the new rock wall downstairs. Painted by Allison Fowler.

We look forward to sharing the new version of us in the new year, and we hope that our new creation will enhance your experience. Stay tuned for more.

Happy New Year...Paint your day!