A few of my favorite things... can you guess them?

In case you're wondering, this is not a blog on "My Favorite Things" from the 1965 film version of the Sound of Music. However, I am an accommodating person and will provide it for you.  

This little spiel is about how my artwork ended up on a bottle of wine! As an art and wine enthusiast you can understand my excitement. Now, for the few still reading...

A. You must drink wine like water 

B. You're probably artsy

C. You don't like sound of music (are you even human) 

D. You couldn't resist clicking the link and you're just looking for something to get Julie Andrews out of your head

Regardless of the reason, grab yourself a glass and give Schumer some company and enjoy my story of how my art ended up on a wine bottle. 

VAUGHAN, ONTARIO, July 15, 2016 - Magnotta Winery Corporation invited participants to submit an original painting or drawing that would be suitable for Magnotta Winery's upcoming wine labels. As a student artist and wine enthusiast, when I saw this competition I couldn't resist! 

The piece I submitted was, 'Presence of a Nightwalker'. I completed this work when I was in my third year of study at Queen's University with Professor Jan Winton. Coming into her class with a hyperrealist background, I was excited to experiment with a new style. Believe it or not, the subject of this piece changed over 10 times before it felt like a winner. It first started off in a vertical perspective of two old women walking along a beautiful open field on a dirt road with old school mailboxes that can barely hold themselves up. Who would've known that it would turn out the way it did. My final work examined alternate dimensions beyond the one we live in. Motivation behind this theme came from the notion that an empty space could actually be full beyond our dimension. You know... energy shifts, everything seems more tense, more still, more heavy...You know something isn't right, but there's nothing to see. It was all about a feeling that carries a certain vibration and resonance that exists beneath the visible layer. The beauty about this piece is the layers underneath of what seemed like totally unrelated subject matter was actually what helped me arrive at the ideas behind the final product. Energies and resonance from each layer still existed in the final product- just as something different. I was inspired by this piece and thought it fit the characteristics of Magnotta's red wine which was described as a dark, bold, full-bodied, intense, off-dry, cabernet sauvignon. Turns out, they thought so too! 

On August 25th, 2016, I was announced a finalist by Rossana Magnotta at Magnotta Winery's Underground Cellar event in Vaughan. With this, Magnotta Winery acquired sole ownership and reproduction rights of my work for inclusion in their permanent art collection for future wine labels. 

Keep visiting my blog or follow me on social media to find out when the wine is released and look out for bottle-signing events and special promotions! 

Instagram: @artbykellybaskin

Twitter: @ArtistBaskin

Cheers!