Coming Soon: Devine Wine
UPDATE: This collection is now available! Head to www.calex.studio/prints
I grew up in a household that appreciated good wine. Even before I could drink, I was visiting wineries with my parents. Once upon a time my little brother and I could tell you every friendly winery dog and cat in all of Napa and Sonoma.
While I didn’t become a winemaker like my parents had hoped (chemistry wasn’t my thing), I’m proud to highlight the beauty of wine with my debut fine art series, Devine Wine, which launches on April 2.
Like the world of wine, there's something for everyone in this collection - impressionist landscapes, collages of wine bottles, and even abstracts.
Why celebrate wine?
It’s more than just a drink in my opinion. Loving wine goes hand in hand with loving life. Wine is grown in some of the most beautiful places on earth and everyone knows that wine tastes best when it’s shared with those you love.
Even back in grade school, I knew the importance of wine. I remember a moment in 6th grade fondly. We had just started the alcohol portion of the D.A.R.E drug prevention program that was mandated for all grade schools in California. My wonderful teacher, Mr. Wray, was reading from the program book, which stated that all alcohol is bad and could be a gateway for binge drinking. Little agitator that I was, I asked if that included wine. When he said yes, I said something akin to, “Humans have been making wine for thousands of years. Making wine is an art form. And having a nice glass of wine with dinner is what my parents do. How is that bad?” Looking back, I’m sure Mr. Wray was laughing and had already picked out which wine he would have with dinner that night.
Now that I’m an adult, I’ve had the privilege to taste at wineries in some of the world’s most renowned wine regions: California, France, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, etc. I can tell you, the beauty of wine goes beyond the glass. I love meeting the people involved with making wine. They tend to be colorful, friendly, joyful people. And that’s just what I wanted to capture in my collection - color and joy.
Another facet of this collection, particularly in the collage pieces, is the theme of hosting and sharing. I love having my loved ones over for dinner parties with great food and flowing wine. Inspired by countless joyful gatherings and the beauty of shared moments, the Devine Wine collection is a celebration of the art of living well.
My Creative Process
This collection began where wine begins - in the vineyards. I poured over photos I’d taken during my travels to inspire my landscape paintings.
From there I branched out to my collages and abstract works. The collages of wine bottles symbolize the diverse flavors and stories contained in each bottle. And the abstracts? They're an expression of the joy and vibrancy that wine brings into our lives.
The Big Day: April 2
This collection is a tribute to the artistry of wine—its power to inspire, to bring people together, and to turn moments into memories. Through my art, I strive to capture not just the visual beauty of the wine country, but the emotion and soul of each experience.
I hope you’ll join me for the big unveiling on April 2 when each of the 12 paintings in this collection will be available as fine art canvas prints. (You can sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of this page if you’d like me to send you a little reminder on the big day.)