Wine seems to be a favorite of many artists and photographers (whether using it for subject matter, or using it to inspire subject matter). If you read my July 16 post, “Have Some Art with That Wine?” you probably noticed some comments about wine’s amazing powers to make creativity flow.

“Wine and art are just a great pairing in every way.”  —Agata

When asked, “How’s your art influenced by wine?” responders were refreshingly honest. Agata, an Ontario painter, volunteered forthrightly: “I’d be lying if I said I don’t often pour myself a nice glass of red to get my creative juices flowing!” You can see the red’s influence on her paintings at her online gallery, Agata’s Art Corner.

“Could never figure out which we enjoyed more – painting or wine.”  —Terry Starnes

Austin, Texas artist Terry Starnes shared an oil painting that came with good memories attached—she’d painted a toast between two members of a weekly painting group that owed much success to shared wine (above). “I thought you might enjoy this painting I did of you and our artist friend Suzanne Davis-Gandy having a glass of wine at one of our artists get-together,” Terry wrote. She took a bit of artistic license with the wine in my glass, though, as I’m a passionate drinker of sauvignon blanc. But her style is undeniably fresh, and worth a false dab of red paint in my glass. Pour yourself a glass of red or white, and take in her art online at Terry Starnes Fine Artist.

Wine works equally well with writing and photography. Angeline Muñoz writes and photographs about her travel habit at AngelineM’s Blog, and notes that “a glass of wine is great to help the creative take wing.” She favors it when when processing her photographs for her Flickr photo feed, too.

“So true. My post from a few minutes ago has a glass of wine (sangria, actually) in it.”  —Alex Suarez

Photographer Alex Suarez explores it all, from foreign lands to his own back yard in the Texas Hill Country, and posts his iPhone food and drink photos on his iFoodography blog, like Wine at Sunset (above).  Warning: Don’t go hungry to the iFoodography blog.

Appreciating fine art with wine glass in hand is a time-honored tradition in the world of art sales, as California artist Shannon Grissom knows. When her paintings (above) are part of downtown Hollister’s Downtown Wine & Beer Stroll in October, she predicts “an enjoyable day of strolling, sampling and visiting.” Have a corkscrew at the ready to see her paintings at her online gallery, Wine Art.

Though wine makes the paint flow for me, too, I’m a bit too impatient to paint a glass of wine when it beckons to be enjoyed. So I prefer to push the shutter button, record the sun’s fine highlights along the glass edge, admire the wine’s clear pale gold hue, linger over its first chilly, fruity tastes and down my inspiration. ♣

See more prints from my Lightscapes series HERE.

Does wine or another after-hours aid help your creativity flow?

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