Impressions of Wine Country takes the reader through the seasons of the vineyard in Northern California. Both informational and intimate, the book includes over 170 vivid watercolors. It is at once a local’s view of life in this rich area, and a story of how wine is grown and crafted from the vine to the glass. Sheppard talks with a number of winemakers and grape growers to uncover the artistry of viticulture and viniculture, and in the process, rediscovers the place he calls home.
The Artist On the Road: Impressions of Greece is a handcrafted sketch journal, lavishly illustrated with paintings and drawings created on location in Greece. This book offers a rare opportunity for the reader to travel in the footsteps of an established artist. The artist learns the importance of becoming acquainted with his location and to formulate an opinion before he begins to draw. By doing this, he reaches beyond simple voyeuristic tourism to an understanding that only comes through careful observation. And by reaching this state of awareness, with focused energy and clarity of mind, the artwork flows automatically. The book also contains historical information and tales of mythical worlds alongside everyday artistic musings. Designed with an approachable, handcrafted style, this book will appeal to artists, travelers, and narrative nonfiction readers.
@@@@@@
Greece, with its abundance of historical ruins and natural beauty, is the perfect place for an artist to sketch and paint. Artist Richard Sheppard takes an artistic journey to Greece with painting and drawing as his main goal. With a backpack and a messenger bag full of art supplies, The Artist on the Road: Impressions of Greece is a tale of the trials and errors an artist endures while making his way in a foreign land. Even with extensive preparation, the unexpected still gets in the way during his travels. Drawing in Greece is the ideal trial for an artist struggling to overcome insecurities in his work and drawing in public places. But these struggles are a natural part of the process that an artist can face and rise above, to the space where successful art emerges and becomes the reward.
@@@@@@
Richard Sheppard is a fine artist and freelance illustrator. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Academy of Art University in San Francisco and a Bachelor of Arts in painting and drawing from Arizona State University. He has illustrated numerous books for major publishers and his fine art can be seen occasionally at galleries and art festivals around the San Francisco Bay Area. This is his first publication.