Fun+Art+Wine... Experience art and wine in a new way

The beloved artist Bob Ross is mentioned in almost every Fun+Art+Wine session. Ross is the famous Afro-wearing painter made famous by the long-running PBS series "The Joy of Painting." Here are some interesting tidbits about one our favorite artists:

• He was born Bob Norman Ross on October 29, 1942.
• He joined the United States Air Force at age 19 and retired after 20 years with the rank of master sergeant.
• While stationed in Alaska, he became inspired by snow-capped mountains and evergreen trees.
• Ross started painting landscapes on gold-panning tins which he sold to gift shops to earn extra money during his time in the military.
• Ross was so soft-spoken because he promised himself he would keep his voice down after leaving the military.
• "The Joy of Painting" ran from 1983 to 1994.
• Ross did the "The Joy of Painting" show for free. His main source of income came from Bob Ross Inc., which sold art supplies, how-to tapes and traveling art classes.
• Ross could record an entire 13-episode season of The "Joy of Painting" in just over two days.
• He was an animal lover and was known to rehabilitate animals and house orphaned animals.
  
• He wasn't a fan of his famous 'fro but recognizing the marketing value of it, he kept it.
• He died at the age of 52 of lymphoma on July 4, 1995.
• He generally did not sell his artwork and after his death, most of his paintings went to charity or PBS.
  

Image via biography.com
Sources: mentalfloss.com, csmonitor.com, biography.com

Perfect for the balmy, muggy summer weather, Vinho Verde is a wonderful choice for outdoor activities like picnics, cookouts and outdoor movies.

Here are a few facts about this popular Portuguese wine:

• Vinho Verde wine is produced in Minho in northeastern Portugal. Minho is Portugal's largest wine region.
  
• It is called the green wine of Portugal, with green referring to the wine’s young age, not its color.
• Vinho Verde can be white, red, or rosé, although white Vinho Verde is the most popular in the U.S.
• It is intended to consumed soon after bottling, typically within a year of harvest. So look for 2012 bottles and forgo any 2010 bottles you come across.
  
• It can be made from a blend of different grapes like like arinto, azal, loureiro and trajadura.
• The most commonly used grape in making Vinho Verde is Alvarinho, the Portuguese version of Spain's Albariño.
  
• It can be still or slightly fizzy.
• It is low in alcohol and high in acidity.
• Vinho Verde is food-friendly, pairing nicely with seafood, salads and green vegetables.
• Vinho Verde is a great value wine, you can easily find good bottles under $10.
• Bottles to try: 2011 Muralhas De Moncao Vino Verde ($10), 2012 Aveleda Vinho Verde White ($6), and 2012 Vinho Verde Dócil Loureiro ($14).

 

Sources: epicurious.com,  nytimes.com


Image: Image courtesy of franky242/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It's interesting how people often look externally for ideal wine and food pairings.  Yes, there are some wines that tend to taste better with certain foods, but the world won't end if you pair Sancerre wine with lasagne. One person might love that pairing and someone else might not.  Tastes in wine, just like in art, are as individual as one's DNA. While it's fun to study wine and food pairings,  it's even more fun to experiment and try different pairings to find ones that really speak to you and your tastes.  Here are a few of our favorites:

Sangiovese and Chocolate Chip Cookies. Freshly baked cookies are the best!
One to try: 2011 Caparzo Rosso Sangiovese - $11

Oregon Pinot Noir and Poached Salmon
One to try: 2011 Oregon Pinot Noir - $19

Prosecco and Truffle Parmesan Popcorn
One to try: Caposaldo Prosecco Brut - $11

Sparkling Viognier and Sushi
One to try: Horton Sparkling Viognier - $25

Pinot Gris from Alsace and Seared Scallops
One to try: 2010 Albert Mann Pinot Gris Hengst - $30

Tempranillo and Grilled Salmon
One to try: 2010 Campo Viejo Tempranillo 2010 - $15

What are your favorite wine pairings? Please share in the comments.

As far as art movements go, few are more American than Abstract Expressionism. Below are a few fun facts about the Abstract Expressionist art movement.

• It was started in New York in the mid 1940s and was popular through the 1950s.
• It was considered the first truly American art movement representing the American spirit in the common use of large canvases and expression of individual freedom.
• The movement put New York on the map as a competitive ‘art capital.’
• Abstract expressionist artists used art as an expression of emotion, focusing on color and form.
• Action painting and color field painting were major painting styles within the abstract expressionism movement.
• It was a movement primarily of painters although a number of sculpture artists and photographers were considered part of the movement.
• Abstract expressionist artists shared a philosophy of using painting as a form of emotional expression versus sharing a specific visual painting style.
• Popular abstract expressionist artists include Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning, Mark Rothko, Clyfford Still, Franz Kline, Arshile Gorky, Hans Hofmann, Robert Motherwell and Barnett Newman.
• It was heavily influenced by Surrealism. Both movements shared an interest myth, symbols and the struggle between self-expression and chaos of the unconscious.
• Without images that were considered political, abstract expressionist works escaped the McCarthy era censorship of the 50s and were able to gain widespread popularity.
• Works by abstract expressionist artists are popular among art collectors. Willem de Kooning’s 1953 work, Woman III, was sold for a 137.5 million dollars in 2006 and Jackson Pollock's 1948 work, No. 5, was sold for 140 million dollars in the same year.

If you'd like to learn more about Abstract Expressionism, join us in the studio for Jackson Pollock & Bubbles this Friday and Saturday as we explore the work of Jackson Pollock and the action painting style that made him and Abstract Expressionism famous. Check out our Jackson Pollock Pinterest board to see examples of Pollock's abstract expressionist works.


 
Sources: www.artgenius.co.uk,  www.theartstory.org