Born in Manila, Philippines, and currently living in British Columbia, Canada, Wine Artist Leanne Laine creates visions of dancing bottles and glasses to female silhouettes and commissioned portraits all capturing her love of wine in art form. Leanne sits down with our Coravin Correspondent Jacqueline Coleman to talk about her difficult upbringing, how her art helps her to heal, and what advice she’d give to fellow wine artists just starting out.
Something that always pairs well with wine is art. If you love these two subjects, you will want to learn more about the wine artist, Leanne Laine. Leanne was born in Manila, Philippines, and currently resides in British Columbia, Canada where she paints and creates the most exquisite wine art. From dancing bottles and glasses to female silhouettes and commissioned portraits, Leanne’s unique artwork combines the beauty and elegance of wine with vibrant faces and scenes.
In our latest interview, we got to know Leanne a little better in her own words. Here is what she had to say about her life, artwork, and how she became one of the premier wine artists
Courtesy Leanne Laine (@leannelainewineartist)
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you became an artist. Did you always focus on wine?
My childhood had some challenges. Growing up with anxiety and bouts of depression, I once chose to live homelessly to escape years of domestic abuse. Living on the streets opened my eyes to the neglect of many who live with various disorders both physically and mentally. I found art and sketching to be a soulful way of coping, and eventually regained my life, moved up the corporate ladder, and earned my education in Business Management. Unfortunately, at some point, I was laid off from my job due to a corporate buy-out. I went back to sketching and painting because it was therapeutic. I didn’t start by painting wine, that came later. I just painted. I loved it and decided I had way too many art pieces around my house, so I better see if I can sell one! I went to eBay, and I sold five in the first week. I was stunned! People enjoyed my art! It was weird at first, but I kept painting and a year later, my husband quit his job to help support my passion. We just bought a house. It was super risky, but I am so happy we took that risk.
What about wine is so inspiring to you?
I love music and dance, and one day in my living room while swirling the wine in my glass, it captured the light in such a mesmerizing way. It just struck me; how beautiful the movement was. At the time, every wine painting I had seen was very stuffy with the wine & grapes stuff, which was great, but to me, this wine dancing in my glass was alive. In my eyes, wine not only moves, but it also dances with elegance, grace, poise, confidence, and power. It was from here, because of those characteristics, eventually, my signature Women in Wine collection was born.
Do you have a favorite piece that you have created over the years? What is it, and what about it makes it your favorite?
I always say, my paintings are like my kids, I can’t choose one! I cannot have a favorite. But that’s how I view my over 650 pieces, they are my babies. But Temptress Tempranillo always spoke to me. To this day, she is one of my most collected Women in Wine pieces. She just comes off so empowering, so confident, which makes her so sexy.
Courtesy Leanne Laine (@leannelainewineartist)
Some of your art can be found in restaurants and galleries. Can you tell us about some places where we can find your art?
I love all my partners, and I am blessed to be able to partner with such amazing people. My art right now can be found in many establishments that are hand chosen by myself. I do not work with big-box retailers, and I like to keep my partners a great distance from one another so they can offer my art as a unique find, something they can offer their customers that no one else in town can. So local shops, local wineries, tasting rooms, restaurants, I love that. Right now, I have partners in Texas, Colorado, California, Kentucky, Ohio, Washington, Indiana, Ontario, and British Columbia, just to name some. But my first ever partner was Tastings in Indianapolis and now Columbus, and they are still my partner today after so many years. A great team, great ownership, and so dedicated to my art. I appreciate all my hard-working partners, but I want to give them a special shout out!
What advice would you have for someone who is starting as a professional artist?
I think to me it rings true with anything, whether it’s art, photography, traveling, inventing–you have to love it to make it work. It’s the passion that drives you, and if you have that passion, anything is possible. You see it everywhere; this world is filled with such amazing people doing amazing things. Entrepreneurs taking risks, taking the road less traveled, loving what they do, and it shows. It’s hard, there will be tough times, but the rewards in my opinion far outweigh the risks. One reward to me is the people I get to meet through my art, people I never would have met, or messaged, or emailed. This interview is a great example of that, my art is giving me this opportunity with you, new relationships, they are a gift.
Courtesy Leanne Laine (@leannelainewineartist)
Do you typically drink wine while you create your paintings? What is your wine of choice?
Sometimes I do, and I love my merlot, but I drink wine more when I am not creating now. Being a mom, my kids are a huge part of my day. I love being with them. I love hearing about their school day, which happens while I am creating. So, I find my wine time shifts to after they go down for the night. But, if I am in a certain mode, and I have an idea that I am so fixated on, those times I lock myself in my studio, and then that wine may also come out!
Can people commission art with you? How does that work, and how can we find you online?
Absolutely! I do so many commissions now, from my popular Silhouwine Portraits to resizing pieces from my collection to fit in client’s spaces, changing background colors, hair colors, to brand new ideas that are so personal to clients. I’m honored by the level of trust a client shows in me, allowing me to make artistic decisions as I flow through my process. I am just so happy that they allow me to take ideas and run with them, and I am happy to say, they always love the piece in the end. People can email me through my website, and find all my art pieces too at leannelainefineart.com.
I post almost daily on Instagram and Facebook! I am always adding new select retailer partners, new pieces, new customer displays, and testimonials, which is a great way to really see my art, and it may also help people decide if my art is something they would enjoy too!
Check out Leanne Laine’s wine art this holiday season! There may be a magical piece that speaks to you.