Kim Klabe at Peninsula Gallery in Lewes Feb. 17-18

The Peninsula Gallery will host working artist Kim Klabe demonstrating her wine pour paintings from 12 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 17, and from 12 to 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 18.

Wine pours are made by pouring red wine or dark beer onto No. 400 watercolor paper, letting the liquid dry and then, after seeing what shape appears, the artist uses her creativity to define the shape with markers and colored pencil. Some of the stain is left untouched while other areas are mostly covered, but the integrity of the pour remains.

A time-lapse video of Klabe working will also be in operation. Sometimes she has no expectations of what the finished piece will look like and simply discovers as she goes. However, it often turns out to be related to a current event, political or personal. This is reflected in the title, and each piece is accompanied by the story behind that title.

Klabe started experimenting with wine pours in 2011, but at the time she used the liquid like watercolor. The problem was lack of color and value. She then tried pouring the wine on the paper and moving it around with a blow-drier and using black ink to draw something on top. The result was better, but not great. Just after the 2017 election, she received a box of wonderful markers as a gift. She said, "I was bored with oil painting, so I thought I would go back to experimenting with wine. I allowed myself to be as creative and expressive as I wanted to be, using red wine and the new markers. The first three pours sold immediately, and I knew I was onto something. I haven't had this much fun with art since school.”

The public is invited to watch Klabe work. She will have a number of completed pieces for sale, and these will remain hanging until mid-March.

The gallery is located in the shops at the Beacon, on the beach side of the canal on Savannah Road in Lewes. For more information and to see more of Klabe’s work, go to www.peninsula-gallery.com.