ART + WINE

Reviewing the first Art + Wine event!

Inspired by a shared passion for painting and wine, William Watson-West and Kate Morrison’s first ART + WINE event took place in a buzzing dan’s wine bar on a hot August Wednesday night. The joint showcase of recent work by Kate and William alongside a selection of wines from parched curated to go alongside the paintings proved a tremendous success and an exciting new concept.

Kate and William have been on similar paths; both with a background in textile design, both having moved to London from the north of England in the last few years and now working from neighbouring studios in Stoke Newington.

“We quickly realised that we had similar ambitions with our practice and what better way to start a collaboration than with an art and wine night.” William

William’s featured paintings included work from his recent project “Hope: Answers for Loss” and upcoming series “Remedies for Despair”. Both projects use painting as an outlet for emotions and a way of dealing with subjects that are often hard to put into words. Working in an almost flow state, his instinctive way of painting results in works with a raw energy that is palpable to the viewer.

“When I paint, I am baring my soul and my vulnerabilities. It may not be obvious due to the largely abstract nature of my work, but I encourage my viewers to stare into my paintings and let their own emotions flow, and almost open up and confide in each piece.” William

Kate’s work was taken from her THREE LANDS collection which records the connection

between three different places in the UK. Having been living and travelling between central London, Newlyn in Cornwall and the Lake District for the last year the project gathers inspiration that has overlayed and merged in her mind creating a range of abstracted works that express an emotional response to the places she’s stayed and journeys between destinations.

“Drawing inspiration from the peripheral spaces in everyday life, I'm drawn to these overlooked corners and details as they crave your attention, yet few peer behind the veil into their hidden worlds. This collection is playful, using materials to push the boundaries and fragility of the lines - visible, emotive and historic.” Kate

As wine-making has become more creative, there are some clear similarities with the creation of art and the emotional aspect involved. When you talk to modern-day wine producers they often talk with a sense of poetry about their craft and in some cases view what they are doing as an art-form in its own right. There is love, passion and raw energy that goes into their production, often trying to create something more than just a drink; something that connects with a place or captures a moment in time.

Pairing the paintings to the wines proved an interesting concept with Kate and William approaching it from slightly different angles.

The pairings were as follows:

Orange: Somos, ’Los Melones’ Dinámicos, Viognier, Australian

“I paired my painting, “Run”, with Somos’ Los Melones Dinámicos, an Australian orange wine with an interesting backstory. It was unlike any orange wine I’d tried before and as soon as I tasted it I knew it was a match for my painting. Made by a Mexican producer from viognier, unusual for a skin contact wine, it exuded playfulness with a funky tropical edge. 

“Run” was painted with a raw energy as I tapped into childhood memories of playing in my parents’ woodland garden and building dens in the hot sun. The wine had a sense of freedom about it and so does my painting.” William

William Watson-West, Run, Acrylic on canvas, 2024

‘THE best orange wine I have ever tasted! You must try this!’ Its aesthetics are just as colourful and happy as its flavour profile. It's joyous and juicy, giving you hints of melon and fresh apricot on the tongue - it dances around your senses! But that’s not all, it's unique in its production, Viognier a white wine grape variety famously grown in Southern France is being made in Australia by an Australian-Mexican duo, Ben Caldwell and Mauricio Ruiz Cantú, they are shaking up the wine industry. 

“I paired this wine with my painting ‘SALT. STRAND. PARK.’ A piece from the collection ‘The Mundane Spaces Between Us’  These works are layered paintings, constructed with  sheer voile, silk and translucent layers suspended to create the final artwork. This was the painting of choice to pair with this wine because the duo have a rule breaking edge to their wines and it embodies how my paintings are constructed.” Kate

As the wine flowed, other options included a Morgon by Domaine Georges Descombes - a chilled red perfect for a summer evening; a crisp, floral Riesling from Australia’s Adelaide Hills region synonymous with exceptional wine-making and a skin contact blend from Spain.

Chilled Red: Domaine Georges Descombes, Morgon, Gamay, France 2022

This was the most traditional and deep wine we had on the wine pairing list. It's a beautifully fruity and refreshing red with a great depth of concentrated flavour.

“Tradition meets chaos. For me this wine started to resonate even more when I heard about the man behind it. A true artist - eclectic and 100% authentically himself. Megan from Dan's wine described the amazing time she had at the vineyard and experiencing the whirlwind that is Georges Descombes.

I paired this wine with one of my large scale 100x100cm paintings called ‘THREE LANDS’, the catalyst for my recent collection. These paintings record a huge amount of information and at initial glance bombard you with the chaos of my inner monologue - I really felt akin to Georges Descombes' process of making wine. “ Kate

“What I feel is one of my most successful paintings to date, ‘Anguish’ was my choice to pair with this wine. As Kate intimates, Georges Descombes is quite a character and hearing about his wine-making process, “Anguish” seemed apt. I love the idea that a wine can be borne from similar challenges and emotions to those my paintings are motivated by.” William

White: Worlds Apart, 'In The Flowers', Riesling, Australia 2023

“Gorgeous! This was love at first sip. Light, fresh and perfect for the hot weather we are currently having. I instantly felt the ‘I’m on holiday enjoying the sun on my shoulders vibe’ there is simply no messing with it which is why I paired it with my bold composition  of ‘INSTITUTION BREAKERS’ this painting is from the collection ‘STEADFAST’ which draws on feelings of familiarity and home, painting in a flow state of repetition each mark holding a powerful form.” Kate

“The acid pop of this wine, synonymous with riesling, seemed the perfect pairing for ‘Beyond Reach’, a painting that has a pop of pink against green, one of my favourite colour combinations. I enjoyed playing with the senses and it’s something I’m keen to push further.” William

William Watson-West, Beyond Reach, acrylic on linen board, 2024

Orange: Tanca Els Ulls, 'La Lleona', Cartoixà de Marina, Spain 2022

“This is a well bodied deep ‘skinsy’ orange wine. The initial smell and hit of flavour is from a process called reduction in the wine where the bottling / corking process allows for a slight activation and sparkle to happen making it ‘salty’. 

This is a beautiful wine that I paired with my painting ‘STORM. WOVEN. SHIP.’ A piece from my collection ‘SUBLIMINAL’ the neutral and calm colour palette struck me when taking my first sip of ‘La Lleona’ as the depth and unusual nature instantly connected to the ethereal nature of my painting. - Delicious with Parma Ham wrapped around a Crostini!” Kate

“When I tasted ‘La Lleona’ I immediately thought of my painting, Longing. Part of my ‘Remedies for Despair’ collection, I painted it in an almost flow state; something I talked about in my previous blog post. Something about this wine just worked with the painting. It’s hard to put into words why (which is why you need to try some of our pairings next time!), but it was such an interesting experience how the flavours stimulated parts of our brains that must be quite similar to the visual stimulus of my paintings.” William

There is a synergy between art and wine that is more than just a welcome drink at an exhibition preview and ART & WINE demonstrates that. After the resounding success of this first event, you can expect more to come in the not too distant future.

Hope: Answers for Loss

I'm trying to bring a bit more structure to the way I release new work. Despite producing a lot of work over the last several months, I realised that I hadn't actually officially released much of my work online! And so here goes...

My latest series is called "Hope: Answers for Loss".

Anguish, by William Watson-West, Acrylic on canvas, 75 x 60 cm

The idea of hope is something that is more important than ever in the increasingly unpredictable world that we live in. As I push my practice further and down a more conceptual path, I’ve been attempting to offer some kind of answer to feelings of loss and grief through painting. Channelling my emotional energy into my work, the aim for this series was to process my personal struggles with grief and loss but also produce something that resonates with others, whether it’s through the deeper meaning behind my paintings, or simply the underlying aesthetics of them.

This body of work has come together over the course of several months. I am always working on multiple pieces at any given time. Some pieces I will wait months before going back to and finishing; other pieces come together more quickly, even in a single sitting. Both approaches involve the transfer of raw energy as I tap into the motivation behind my work.

Mind Jungle, by William Watson-West, Acrylic on linen board, 30 x 24 cm

As much as my paintings often convey a joyful sense of colour, the underlying inspiration behind a lot of these pieces comes from a darker place as I tried to come to terms with grief and find meaning. I often struggle to put into words how I am feeling, something that I think a lot of people can relate to especially when dealing with grief and loss.

Painting can be a cathartic process for releasing one’s inner struggles but also using that often painful energy can create something beautiful for others to admire and in turn find their own meaning.

Colour on a Dull Day, by William Watson-West, Acrylic on linen board, 24 x 30 cm

Now, more than ever, mental health is at the forefront of people’s minds and I hope that through my paintings, people might be able to relate in some way. I hope my paintings appeal on different levels; from an aesthetic point of view I hope that they bring people joy, but on a deeper level, perhaps as people stare into my paintings they might offer an answer to their worries or troubles.

When I paint, I am baring my soul and my vulnerabilities. It may not be obvious due to the largely abstract nature of my work, but I encourage my viewers to stare into my paintings and let their own emotions flow, and almost open up and confide in each piece.

Pieces of Mind, by William Watson-West, Acrylic on linen board, 50 x 40 cm

New York City, painting in a flow state and a favourite fishmonger...

My third newsletter features a special trip to New York where I visited some amazing museums, a local fishmonger that serves delicious sashimi, how I am painting in a flow state with my current project and an introduction to my upcoming collection launch.

All Things Arty

New York City

A couple of months ago my fiancée took me to New York City to celebrate my birthday. I’ve visited a couple of times before and wasn’t let down this time by the intoxicating air of possibility and opportunity that it emits along with its truly awesome architecture - the vast streets and towering skyscrapers.

We were staying pretty much right next to the Whitney Museum of American Art and our trip coincided with the opening few days of its famous biennial exhibition. A lot of the work in the biennial had a noticeably political undertone, sometimes verging on clichéd, but it was nonetheless excellently and meticulously curated resulting in an impressive show. A highlight for me was Suzanne Jackson who used acrylic paint, gels and found objects from the natural world in layer upon layer without canvas to create artworks suspended in the air allowing a translucence and new dimension to a typically 2-dimensional medium.

An expert level of curation was also visible at both the Museum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art as well (I could have spent days there!) and whilst we barely scratched the surface of what NYC has to offer, it felt like all of these galleries were a metaphor for the city we saw as a whole - surprisingly well looked after and designed with a sophisticated aesthetic.

Another highlight was The Highline, a former elevated railway line that has been transformed into a public park and mile and half long walkway. Walking along at 9am on a quiet Sunday morning, the planting and sculptural paths with hints of its industrial past were truly inspiring. The juxtaposition of this green garden oasis amongst the towering city architecture and the vistas that emerged as you walked along was spectacular. I spend a lot of time marvelling at the beauty of the natural world, but visiting New York it’s hard not to be mesmerised by the ability of humans to create such an incredible metropolis.

Foodie Musings

If you're new to my newsletter, this is the section where I write about some of my other passions, namely food and drink! My third foodie musing features a local fishmonger.

Oeno Maris, Newington Green, London

One of the major draws of London has to be its access to so much exceptional produce from around the world. Oeno Maris is a master fishmonger that specialises in the finest sustainably sourced fish and seafood available, which luckily for me is just ten minutes’ walk from our flat. Each morning it takes Dan Murphy, the owner, hours just to set up and make sure all he has to offer is looking its best; it’s worth getting there early just to see his counter in all its splendour.

Oeno Maris is not just a fishmonger though. You can now go and have incredible sashimi, sake and natural wine on-site, either outside on a sunny day or inside in the dimly lit but very cool shop itself. The sashimi varies each week but there’s always a variety of tuna available to try. I tried a type of fatty tuna that melted like butter as you ate it - a complete revelation. Each dish comes simply yet beautifully plated and served with fresh wasabi grated at the table along with rare aged soy sauces and rice wine vinegars for dipping. I’m told that it’s the only place outside of high-end restaurants that you can find this sort of quality in London and although it’s not cheap, you’d be paying a lot more for it elsewhere. If you’re into your sashimi it’s a must and even if you’re not, it’s worth trying to experience something special.

Inspiration Update

Whilst the subject of my paintings continues to get more conceptual, the colours, shapes and feelings are more often than not informed by memories, experiences of daily life and the places I visit. When I am in the right zone this accumulation of information releases into my work in bursts of energy. 

I’m currently trying to push the idea of creating work in an almost flow state; a state of mind somewhere between deep focus and the subconscious where I’ve discovered that I create some of my most successful paintings. I’m intrigued by the idea that work produced in this zone might prompt certain emotions and deep thought in the viewer as well and I’m excited about how painting can be beautiful but also have so much more to it.

As with my latest project that I’ll be launching very soon, I’m keen for people to stare into my paintings and explore their own feelings. The process of creating these paintings can be very cathartic and I hope that simply in viewing my work it might also trigger a similar response.

Recent Work

I’ve finally catalogued the last several months of paintings I’ve been working on which I’m pleased to say I'll be launching in the next couple of weeks.

“Hope: Answers for Loss”, brings together approximately 30 paintings that I’ve created as both a means of processing some of my own challenges and also in the hope that it resonates with other people. You might have already seen some of the pieces in the series but there’s another sneak peek below before I launch the whole collection online.

Turning Orange

Buy Now

In other news, sadly I didn’t make it into the final selection for the Royal Academy Summer exhibition, although having read some of the reviews perhaps I ought to be glad(!) and I am holding onto the shortlisting as being a big achievement in its own right.

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