Art and Indulgence – Unique Places to View Art

There is nothing like the comfort of indulgence, be it a fabulous zinfandel, a favorite ice cream, decadent chocolate, or perusing art. Here are some ideas for combining indulgences in Sonoma County.

Locals Wine Tasting Room in Geyserville goes a step beyond the wine with fine art. Carolyn, the owner, finds beautiful and unique artists to feature on the walls.

The collective tasting room presents 10 local wineries in its vibrant spot on Geyserville’s main street. From those 10 wineries, there are 70 wines always open and ready to taste, giving you a chance to do a side by side tasting of one varietal by several different winemakers.

Shanna Bruschi, who is currently displaying her art at Locals, works mostly with a palette knife.

Artwork by Shanna Bruschi is currently on display at Locals and her paintings give scope for thought as you swirl and sip. Working mostly with a palette knife, and reworking with thick layers of paint, her pieces have great texture and the figures have a wonder about them.

The Wine Emporium in Sebastopol sources hard to find wines locally and globally and also features a rotation of Northern California artists. John F. Melvin is the current featured artist in their gallery. His paintings will be there through May 1. John is a local artist who paints scenes of people enjoying San Francisco, with a penchant for beach and water venues.

It was with excitement that I heard about Balletto Vineyards and Screamin’ Mimi’s Ice Cream pairing up in the name of art. Selected artists’ work will be on display for about three months at the winery and then move onto the ice cream parlor for a further three months so that we can be sure not to miss it, or indeed to enjoy it in two tantalizing venues.

The art of Henry Violin begins the rotation and will hang in the Balletto Vineyards Tasting Room through April 6 before moving on to Screamin’ Mimi’s from April 6 to June 22. Henry is a local artist who paints mainly outdoors, depicting beautiful Sonoma County landscapes and seascapes.

Balletto hosts complimentary artist receptions for each installment and the tasting room is open daily for viewing. Art by James Reynolds, Sharon and Bud Daveiro, Victoria Kochergin, Char Wood, and Samantha Buller will take you right the way through next spring.

Viva Cocolat evokes a European feel in its charming spot in downtown Petaluma, with a great selection of premium chocolates and other goodies as well as local artists’ work adorning the walls. Even the chocolates are like works of art.

Right now you can view paintings by both Mark Lifvendahl and Irene Hendrick. Mark is a self-taught artist and his abstract paintings are vibrantly colorful and uplifting. Irene’s portraits suggest a memory, as she has been inspired by family stories and memories, but with a vagueness that allows us to interpret the story with our own memories.

Whatever you might fancy – treats and art await.