In the vineyard feast of All Saints

Watercolor sketch at AlexEli © Genesis+Art Studio

FROM OUR SKETCHBOOKS:

We returned today from an inspiring trip to AlexEli Vineyard & Winery in Oregon. On our flight home we were reflecting on the ancient wisdom stories around the process of growing, harvesting and turning grapes into wine.

Living in the city has taken us away from the familiar feeling of having hands in the dirt, to be more closely connected to the labor of tending the garden. The earth, the elements that nature brings and the constant nurturing and tending to the vines all lead to this moment of the harvest. We have new appreciation for Phil and daughter Heidi for the hard work and passion that goes into the ongoing process of growing and tending a vineyard.

We offered ourselves as able bodies and hands to help in the process of the fall harvest. Hours mostly swept by in what seemed minutes, not unlike the creative process, transforming the fruit into the juice that will become wine.

We took a break from the work and headed with our sketchbooks down to the lake. This new rhythm of the earth offered an opportunity for the quiet solitude of nature. The more closely I studied the landscape, the sounds and the smells around me, the more beautiful it all became. I realized that haven’t been good at taking the time to observe the things that give life. It was a thin place for reflection and inspiration and we felt the spirit working through the land, wildlife, friends and family in this quiet place.

The thin place of heaven meeting earth inspired and made us look more closely at the saints in our lives.