Ross Ellsworth Penhall

Heffel Auction House Biography and Notes

The Grapevine is from a new series of paintings by Ross Penhall called Here and There (Along the Line), in which he depicts subjects such as West Coast mountains, prairie foothills and this scene from California. The Grapevine is a section of I5 that winds through a valley before going up into the mountains, then descending toward Los Angeles. Typical of his work, Penhall depicts the landscape with a stylized and lush treatment of landscape that brings out its verdant beauty. Looking down from far above, rich velvety-green hills undulate out to the horizon, and light plays across them, highlighting areas of bright green which are contrasted by the darkening hills in the distance. The ribbon of the road curves through the landscape, creating an entry way into the scene. The long horizontal format shows the long lines of the hills and gives the viewer an experience of open space, something that is quite euphoric.