Pop up art exhibit at Marimar Estate celebrates art and wine

If you’re looking for a taste of Spain’s Catalonia region without getting on an airplane, check out a pop-up art exhibit at Sebastopol’s Marimar Estate in November.

The collaboration between Marimar Estate and artist Marina Solé will exhibit Solé’s artwork at the winery Nov. 1 to 15. You also can meet the artist at three open houses at the winery, 3 - 5 p.m. Nov. 2, Nov. 3 and Nov. 4.

“We’re not only showcasing her incredible talent but also highlighting the importance of supporting women in the arts and entrepreneurship,” vintner Marimar Torres said of Solé. “We hope to inspire others to recognize the value of women entrepreneurs and promote a more vibrant and equal society for everyone.”

Torres and Solé have a cultural bond; both grew up in the Catalonia region.

“Catalonia has a strong tradition of art, wine and craftsmanship,” Torres said. “It’s very special to me that we both share this creative bond that was derived from our roots. We appreciate and respect each other’s craft and like supporting one another here in the Bay Area. Marina has created custom pieces inspired by Marimar Estate for this collaboration.”

The vintner said she’s fond of Solé’s art because looking at it takes her half a world away.

“The colors in her art remind me of the vibrant streets of Catalonia,” Torres said. “I also admire how she paints and portrays the women of Catalonia.”

The 36-year-old artist has been based in San Francisco for the past 12 years. She received her bachelor's degree in fashion design from Barcelona in 2010. After moving to California in 2011 to study at Academy of Art University in San Francisco, she completed a master’s degree in fashion merchandising.

Solé talked with The Press Democrat about the themes and message in her art and why art and wine pair so well.

Question: When did you first decide to become an artist?

Answer: My mom used to paint in the attic, and I secretly used to sneak up there. Several times, she left unfinished oil paintings to dry out on a table. Seeing her moving those beautiful long brushes up and down and dipping them in shiny paint looked so appetizing. Intending to help her, I painted over it, making nothing good. I have no doubt that she noticed, yet she never said anything.

Another peculiar fact: When I was around 5 years old, I told my Catalan grandma, who lived through the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s dictatorship, that I wanted to be a painter as a profession. This was while I was looking over the walls of her house, mostly (displaying) all replicas of (artist Diego) Velazquez and contemporary artists such as Joan Mirò. She replied, painter? Uff, kid, you won't make any living with it!

Although I was discouraged for a while, she had reasons to believe that was a hard choice. So I pursued a career in design and completed my studies in Barcelona in 2010, in the same academy where Picasso studied, called Llotja, Escola D’art I Disseny, and where design and fine art were perfectly merged. This gave me the technical fundamentals that are critical in my work today.

But more than that, I had some wonderful teachers who planted a seed encouraging me to express myself through my medium. They taught me that if whatever you create, whatever it is, tells a story or makes people’s feelings tickle, it is art. So that is what I’ve always strived for, both in my previous design career as well as today in my paintings and collages.

Q: What do you want to express with your art in the upcoming exhibit at the winery?

A: I would like to express to the audience that Marimar Estate x Marina Solé is a collaboration with a connection of Catalonia, where Marimar Torres and I were born and raised. Proudly, we have woven our memories and visions from home into our respective endeavors here in California. It is a celebration of women’s agency in a men’s world, and also a simply joi de vivre, just like art and wine.

Q: Can you tell us about some of the artwork that will be on display?

A: I’ll be exhibiting some brand-new paintings and artworks that I created in September when I was in an art residency in southwest rural Japan. These pieces are part of the collaboration with Marimar Estate Vineyards and Winery, as each new oil painting is directly inspired by a specific Marimar wine that I love.

For example, one of the oil paintings is connected with the beautiful albariño, a white grape variety originally grown in north Spain and Portugal. This artwork is called “Origami Grape” and is a surreal representation of the traditional vine grape. But in this case, it is shaped magically and grandiosely on origami paper. In Japan, origami is a practice of strength and meditation, and it is passed on from parents to children at home. I believe that the art of wine has a similar approach. Finding a connection in my artwork is something I always try to do.

Q: Why do you think art and wine pair well?

A: Wine is culture, history and conviviality. Art is part of the same group, so it can’t be separated. Enjoying it together can only be a celebration of life’s pleasures. One of my favorite wines is La Masia Pinot Noir from Marimar Estate. It brings me back to the Catalonia coast.

You can reach wine writer Peg Melnik at 707-521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pegmelnik.