Artist inspired by firestorm to exhibit in Sonoma

Exhibit benefiting wildfire survivors opens on April 22|

“The Wheel of Fire,” an exhibit displaying a series of nature paintings inspired by landscapes recovering from the October 2017 wildfires in Sonoma County, will open on Earth Day, April 22, at Adastra Wine & Art at 5 E. Napa St.

Half of the proceeds from artwork sales will be donated to the Sonoma Community Foundation’s Resilience Fund, which is dedicated to serving the mid- and long-term needs of those affected by the fires.

Artist Harrison Love of Los Angeles will travel through Sonoma County in the weeks preceding the exhibit, creating artworks on site where inspiration strikes, using mixed media materials that suit the subject matter. Love calls it the “Be-in air” process.

“The ‘Be-in Air’ process is designed to revitalize the concept of plein air painting as a mode for artists to be able to express the experience of what is happening in a situation,” said Love. “And, in the wake of disasters, more directly inform others... and command the appropriate response from the public, through authentically felt observation.”

A free reception with Love will be held at Adastra Wine & Art from 4 to 6 p.m. on April 22 to mark the opening of the exhibit, which will remain on display through June.

Love attended the Rhode Island School of Design, and worked at Brown University and has exhibited widely on the East and West coasts of the U.S.

Hosting Love’s exhibit is the second fundraising effort by Adastra to help those affected by the October fires. In the final three months of 2017, the winery donated more than $4,000 to the Sonoma Valley Rotary’s #SonomaStrong fund – voluntary donations collected in lieu of tasting fees at Adastra’s Sonoma Plaza tasting room.

“Harrison is an exciting artist,” said Adastra co-owner and winemaker Edwin Richards. “We look forward to sharing his perspectives with the public and contributing to the long-term healing that is happening in our community.”

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