Progressions

Eric’s photo realistic wine themed painting are truly amazing as you can see.  I have some Thomas Arvid oil paintings and Tom has been on the show…I had to have a copy of Progressions and hope to have more of Eric’s work in the future.

Christensen’s “wine art”” begins where most contemporary wine artists leave off. Eric loves to capture the romance of the wine country, which he points out, , “is so much more than just the wine”. Collectors of Christensen’s art typically own several of his creations and enjoy the varied themes they portray; lifelike landscapes and intimate still life paintings that incorporate a variety of elements including food, flowers or fruit with appropriate background settings.

By “pushing” watercolor paint to its absolute limits, Christensen has invented a new way to paint with this traditional medium. Using non-standard watercolor paper and employing a dry-brush technique, Eric starts out with thin washes then builds meticulously to over 30 subsequent layers of paint. You can actually see the build-up of the paint layers when you look closely at his originals. Eric’s technique allows him to achieve much stronger colors and shadows than can be found with traditional watercolor art; his paintings actually appear more like an oil painting on canvas. Christensen achieves his lifelike hyper-realistic images through his genius for understanding the technical aspects of his subjects and his dedication to capturing an image as it truly exists. His love of natural materials particularly flowers, fruits and vegetables also combine to make this possible. He possesses the stunning ability to paint the subtleties of light traveling through a flower petal or its reflection off a wine glass. Composition is one more factor that sets Christensen’s paintings apart. Each painting is a study in the balance between texture, height and shape. The placement of objects in his paintings must all make sense and represent a scene found in real life; in a kitchen, a wine cellar, or in the vineyard.

You must visit www.ericchristensenart.com

If you like wine, there’s bound to be something you like!

Good Life Guy’s wine of the week:  Two great wines from Frei Brothers

2006 Frei Brothers Reserve Cabernet
Alexander Valley
Intense aromas of cassis, dark berries and toasty oak. The firm, velvety tannins are complemented by flavors of blackberry, raspberry, cedar, and tobacco with hints of vanilla and dark chocolate that linger in a long, elegant finish.

 2007 Frie Brother Reserve Merlot
Dry Creek Valley
A medium-bodied wine that exhibits intense flavors of blackberry and cherry from the vineyard with hints of complementary barrel spices. This wine was made to be enjoyed young, but a bit of bottle aging will make it even more rewarding.

Guy and Gina Gallo in Aspen 2009

I’ll be coming to you from Frei Ranch in Sonoma with special guests Gina Gallo of Gallo Family Vineyards, Eric Cinnamon from Rancho Zabaco and Jim Collins representing Frei Brothers winery and the Gallo Sustainability efforts. 
Looking forward to a great food, wine and fun at the Sonoma Wine Country Weekend!

The Good Life Wine of the Week…
Great wines from Frei Brothers and the Gallo Family

The wine of the week is available at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road at 29th Street.