An Unexpected Medium

›› Israel Holloway stocks up on Robert Mondavi merlot, but not for drinking – for painting. The Craig-based artist did his first wine painting in 2012 for an art auction. The fundraiser involved a winetasting event, so he thought he would stick with the theme and try painting with red wine.

While watercolors are his preferred medium (he painted the world’s largest watercolor in 2020), he found that wine-painting was intriguing. It’s similar to painting with ink, he says, in that it’s difficult to move around and it stains right away, unlike watercolors. His images, typically depicting Western scenes of people and horses, don’t lack for detail. The muscular backs of horses, folds of clothing, clouds in the sky and shadows across the ground all come through in his wine-laden brush strokes.

“Most of my figurative work explores honesty, resilience, patience, humility and certainly beauty because those are attributes I would like to see in myself and humanity as a whole,” Israel says. “I prefer themes that express our current world and share the Western spirit.”

When he’s finished with a piece, Israel lets the painting sit for a bit before spraying it with archival acrylic spray, which slows down the aging process. In a playful gesture, he often stamps it with the bottom of a wine glass, leaving a circular mark on the lower edge of the paper.

“I think viewers make a connection with the wine because they have handled it and spilled it,” he says. “It makes a good conversation when you have a glass of wine in your hand.” ■