Vineyard @ Callistoga, Napa, CA

Stairs @ Castello di Amorosa, Winery, Callistoga, CA

Trees @ Winery, Callistoga, Napa, CA

Anyway so this was my first visit to the great Napa Valley. Away from the crowds of San Francisco as soon as you enter Napa county, you are surrounded by beautiful landscape of vineyards, olive trees, numerous brewery, wine cellars and plenty of Italian restaurants. A few miles after Napa Valley is this place called Calistoga. It is much like Napa – just a little less touristy and hence less crowded.

Wine tasting personifies our life or some of the events of our life in many ways. There are three steps for the wine tasting process:
1. Smell
2. Sip – feel the wine
3. Drink

Sometimes we like the smell but not the taste, sometimes we like the taste not the smell and sometimes we like both. In our life – we come across situations where we step in, feel and experience. Take for example an opportunity. You hear about an opportunity that you are interested in from a friend. You hear it – this is the first step (smell). You decide to pursue it – this is the second step (sip). And then once you join and start working on the opportunity – you finish the third step (drink).

After the third step when the wine is deep into your body – you decide whether you like the wine or not. Same way once you start working on the opportunity, let it sink in and dwell deep into it – after which you come to know whether the opportunity proved good or bad for you.

The point here is many people give up the wine without trying it out. You do not know what’s in the bottle unless you have tried it out. Same way do not give up on your life – on an opportunity just by looking into it, give it a try.

We can’t go down there without popping in to Carlo Marchiori’s Ca’toga Gallery. Carlo is one of the most versatile  artists ever. At the left is a piece titled ‘Alchemist’, an entrancing work. Carlo works in oils, watercolors, ceramics, furniture, you name it, he can make it a masterpiece. Some of his latest works are contemporary abstracts. Big, vibrant, and spot-on.

I remember from time to time one can hear from other artists that you must choose a medium and stick to it in order to succeed. If you are an artist that longs to experience making art in many ways, visit Carlo’s fabulous gallery. You can visit him online, as well, but as in the art world, in person shows depth better. www.carlomarchiori.com

We like to start at Ca’toga so that we are inspired for our trips. And we did return home with plenty of objects for new works, to be made with eyes that are just a little more educated for visiting galleries, and partaking of the waters, helps.

This piece is furniture, believe it or not, a ‘chest of drawers.’

Check out our sister blog: http://beatgallery.wordpress.com

our website: www.artavenuegardenstudios.com

and etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/TheBeatGallery

You can find us at The Beat gallery, 109 W Perkins, Ukiah, CA

Michael Wilson and Susan Spencer, assemblage artists