Individual Painting Descriptions
Under Cold, Damp Air, the Earth Stirs
Original watercolour
60x80cm 650€
This was the very first painting created in the Domaine et Terroir series, in early February. The trees along the brow of the hill were still bare, and crows cawed sharply through the drifting mist. I was dressed warmly, gloves included, working in just three degrees above zero. Yet the land already knew that winter’s slumber was coming to an end.
An earthy scent rose from the soft, yellowish-green cover on the slopes. Here and there, remnants of trimmed branches lay scattered. Nature appeared to be waiting—on hold—yet subtly, almost imperceptibly, it was stirring.
Guests enjoy Spring’s First Warmth on the Terrace of the Waistuff
Original watercolour
60x80cm 650€
It’s not quite what you expect a “Waistuff” or wine tavern to look like — we are catapulted into the 21st century by the modern architecture of the winery building designed by star architect François Valentiny. A courageous business venture indeed, but one embraced by locals and expats alike as a popular excursion destination. There is nothing like taking in the views while enjoying a glass of chilled white wine and perhaps a piece of tarte flambée on the terrace on such a lovely spring afternoon.
The Moselle Carries the Light of Early Spring
Original plein air watercolour on canvas
1x1m 1200€
This land is shaped by the Moselle which, as it carves its way through the valley, is an integral part of the terroir. It forms the slopes where the vines take root and tempers the air that nurtures them. On this early spring day, the swift current becomes the bearer of light, reflecting it upwards in the enduring dialogue between river, earth and vine.
View towards the Village from the Winery Terrace
Original plein air watercolour on canvas
100x100cm 1200€
Perched on a sunny slope of the Markusberg, the winery terrace affords wonderful views in all directions. I wanted to paint a large-format piece from here, and on this particular afternoon, I was drawn to the view towards the village: the neat rows of vines, trees just coming into bloom, and the Mosel curving gracefully towards neighbouring France. To the right, the forested upper slopes of the Stromberg are visible, below which lie numerous vineyards belonging to Domaine Henri Ruppert.
With the winery closed to the public that day, I was free to set up the extensive equipment needed for painting such a large work on site. As I painted, the light shifted subtly behind the hill, falling across rooftops and casting shadows in the vineyard. I applied layer upon delicate layer of colour to the canvas, striving to capture not just the scene itself, but the serene atmosphere of this beautiful day in late March.
The First Warm Weather Cloud of the Season Drifts Over the Land
Original plein air watercolour
1m x 50cm → 720€
After a warm spell, a warm-weather cloud drifts in from the Eifel, hinting at thunderstorms yet to come. The sun’s heat encourages new growth on the ground, while the vines above remain stand pruned and tied. Above them, the angular silhouette of the historic Markusturm points to the spring sky, juxtaposed against the rounded, modern architecture of the winery as it looks out across the land.
In the Tangled Hedgerow, Spring Bursts Out Untamed
Original plein air watercolour
100x50cm 720€
In the second half of April, temperatures have risen into the low twenties °C, making it quite hot while hiking higher along the winding track on the sunny slopes of the Felsberg near Wintrange, where Domaine Henri Ruppert also owns parcels. Small lizards can be seen darting among dry leaves on the embankments, and in the vines, bud break has begun. The wild, straggly hedgerows stand in contrast to the orderly, well-tended vineyards, while the view toward the distant horizon enhances the sense of breezy solitude. However, I am not alone. The air is filled with the smell of freshly cut grass, as vineyard work involves mowing at this time of year.
Watched through the Window,
Sunshine and Spring Showers Sweep across the Land
Original watercolour – view from the winery building
70x90cm 800€
It is mid-February, and the vines are still bare under a spring sky that is still bringing showers of sleet and snow. In this unpredictable, chilly weather, I am grateful to be able to paint indoors, in the comfort of the Wäistuff, where the enormous façade of the spectacular Valentiny building opens out to a vista of vineyards stretching up to the forested horizon. This is the land on the other side of the Mosel, in Germany, making this a view that spans borders. Indeed, the sense of borderlessness is central to the identity of Schengen, the village that has given its name to the Schengen Area.
The Building Arches Over the Land
in the First Warmth of Spring
Original plein air watercolour
70x90cm 800€
With its curved architecture, the building rises above the vines, offering panoramic views across the Mosel. It is the end of February and visitors to the Domaine wander out onto the terrace to enjoy the vista and the sun’s first warm rays. Among the grass, the first wildflowers appear — tiny blue forget-me-nots lining the path.
Under One Sky
Original plein air watercolour
140x100cm 1500€
April brings the first days warm enough for me to seek the dappled shade of a few fruit trees, where I set up my painting equipment above Apach, France. Across the Mosel rises the Stromberg, where some of Domaine Henri Ruppert’s vineyard parcels are also to be found. Here, the boundaries are invisible — I was no longer sure whether I stood in France or Germany, or where Luxembourg gives way to France on the far side of the river… but does it really matter? As the setting sun turns our shared river a warm shade of gold, we all live under one sky.
In the Warm Glow of a Spring Evening,
the Road Winds through the Vineyards to the Village
Original plein air watercolour
60cmx80cm 650€
Only the rooftops of the houses along the hillside are visible above the vineyard poles. Against a golden sky, some are silhouetted while sunlight reflects off the slate roofs of others. Shadows stretch and lengthen as evening settles over the vineyards.
Late Afternoon Shadows Fall on the Back Road
to the Domaine
Original plein air watercolour
60cmx80cm 650€
There are two main routes to the winery. One is the panoramic path from the village, winding through the vineyards; the other is this one—a back road that passes a cluster of sheds belonging to neighbouring wine growers with parcels on the Markusberg. Just around the corner, out of sight here, Domaine Henri Ruppert has its own sheds.
This is the largely unseen side of the wine business—a quiet reminder that viticulture is, at heart, agriculture, with tractors, trailers, and spare tyres. Pallets, vineyard posts, and an assortment of attachments tell the story of labour behind the scenes, all part of everyday life on this back road.
A Labour Shared
Original plein air watercolour
60cmx80cm 650€
When it comes to pruning vines in spring, the timing isn’t random. The age of the vine, the grape variety, frost risk, and numerous other factors must all be considered. These two men worked swiftly — one with conventional secateurs, the other with handheld power secateurs connected to a pack on his belt. This technology amplifies human strength and reduces fatigue, yet it is their careful attention and steady rhythm that shape the vines with precision. Each cut is deliberate, each row tended with care and the silent camaraderie of the two men is tangible.
A Labour of Love
Original plein air watercolour
60cmx80cm 650€
The individual parcels of land on the Markusberg are divided among various wineries, but one task they all share in early spring is pruning the vines. An expert eye, along with strong hands and arms, is required for this work. Excess canes are cut decisively, then tugged free and disentangled from the supporting trellis — vine by vine, row by row — in what seems like an endless task. Far from being tiresome, however, I discovered through conversations with several people tending the vines that they take great pleasure in their outdoor work. Their responsibility for the vines is, in fact, a source of pride and joy — a true labour of love.
The Wide Vista – View towards Luxembourg from the Saargau
Original plein air watercolour
140x100cm 1500€
The modern architecture of Domaine Henri Ruppert calls for some larger-format artworks, and this wide vista demanded a bigger canvas. It was mid-April when I returned to this view, one I had seen many times before, from a vantage point on the Saargau above Nennig. By this stage in spring, the landscape is a lush, verdant green, and the oilseed rape fields are in full bloom. Beyond, the terrain follows the contours of Luxembourg’s Route de Vin, above which forested hills seem to roll away in ever more distant layers.
Schengen in Bloom
Original plein air watercolour
70 x 70 680€
By mid-March, the days have become tangibly longer and warmer. Voices of people enjoying time on the terrace at the winery drift across to me as I paint this view in the opposite direction. The sun is now slowly setting behind the Markusberg, but it has done its work over these past few days, opening white blossoms on previously bare branches along the edge of the vineyards and bringing tinges of pink and yellow to the gardens in the village. Spring is now truly upon us as life returns to the landscape.
Time of the Dandelions, Wintrange
Original plein air watercolour
50x70cm 450€
Following the Moselle along Luxembourg’s Route du Vin, you come to the small village of Wintrange, with the distinctive shape of the Felsberg rising behind it. The labels on some of the fine, award-winning wines from Domaine Henri Ruppert reveal that they have their origins on these sunny slopes. In the vineyard in the foreground, the buds on the vines are almost ready to open, while the grass is sprinkled with bright yellow dandelions and some which have already developed fluffy white seed heads.
Saturday Afternoon at the Winery
Original plein air watercolour
50cmx70cm 450€
From across the river, there is a fine view of the modern architecture of the winery, and today, as always at weekends in fine weather, there is plenty going on in the Waistuff. People have driven out from the city to escape on this fine spring day and to enjoy the fresh air at this elevated point among the vineyards above the Moselle. Sunlight falls on the distinctive white umbrellas on the terrace before it will gradually move behind the building and set beyond the Markusberg. With this painting, the series of 17 paintings “Domaine et Terroir” comes to an end, along with our journey from the first stirrings of cold, damp earth to bud break on the vines and the return of outdoor life in springtime on Luxembourg’s Route du Vin.
If you have enjoyed the journey, follow me on further artistic adventures on Morag Paul Watercolours on Instagram, and explore additional projects at www.morag.de
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