"Grape de Menthe" by Artist, Sandi Whetzel, Promotes 2013 "Greatest of the Grape"

Grape de Menthe 30x24 acrylic©Sandi Whetzel

These grapes have earned their stripes, literally. In my quest to capture the interest of grape and wine lovers, I wanted to do something really different and fun with grapes.
The Umpqua Valley WineGrowers liked this painting so much they picked it to promote the "Greatest of the Grape" gala event March 2, 2013.

I liked this sketch of a cluster of grapes because it had so many different shapes of grapes; some round and some showing off the oblong side views of grapes.

I decided to paint the background of large violet stripes even before I knew how I would render the grapes. After a while it became apparent that the grapes could be striped as well. I finally resorted to using a magic marker to stripe a chicken egg so that I could observe what would happen to the stripes on it when I viewed it from various angles. As a result, each grape assumes its own personality.

The grapes situated in the rear of the cluster recede because I used cooler colors to set them back. The grapes take on even more dimension with the addition of shadows cast below them and a warm, golden light at the top of the grapes exposed to direct sunlight.

It was a challenge to come up with a title for this painting. The striped grapes reminded me of mint candies. Then I remembered that there is a liqueur, creme de menthe, that is a sweet, mint-flavored alcoholic beverage. It was fitting that these striped minty grapes destined for wine lovers should be called "Grape de Menthe". It was fun and challenging to dream up this new fun twist on grapes.  
A hand-embelllished giclee reproduction of Grape de Menthe on gallery wrapped canvas will be auctioned off to the highest bidder at the "Greatest of the Grape" event.

For event and ticket information visit .  To see more of Sandi's art and to order reproductions on paper, gallery wrap canvas, metal or on acrylic film, plus art greeting cards, visit her new website .
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Sandi Whetzel's Art Wins Wine Label Competion: Art Pour Favor Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Recently DIVA, Downtown Initiative for Visual Arts in Eugene, OR, issued a call for artists to design a wine label for their first juried Art Pour Favor wine label competition. I thought one of my acrylic wine paintings just might be a good fit. Boy was I was excited when I learned that my Wine on the Vine II won the competition for the Cabernet Sauvignon label. It captures the essence of a sun drenched vineyard with engaging shapes of vines and bottled grapes.

My winning label appears on a special bottling of a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon wine from the Desert Wind Winery in Washington's Yakima Valley. The wine is being featured at the DIVA Center's receptions and fund raising events in 2009. I and the winner of the Pinot Gris label were honored during a wine bottling party at the RainsSong Winery in Cheshire, OR, Feb 14th.

This is the second time my Wine on the Vine II painting has received reccgnition. It was favorably reviewed in Coos Bay's The World while the painting was exhibited at the Coos Art Museum in October 2008. Nor is this the first time my art has been used to promote the wine industry. My Uplifting Spirits painting was the promotion poster for the 2006 Greatest of the Grape and my first Wine on the Vine in shades of blue promoted the 2005 Umpqua Valley Art and Wine Festival. My appreciation for wine is growing.