Artist Temple Reece holds a bottle of Watauga Lake Winery's special edition Traminette Wine. Reece's artwork Blue Moon Over the Backroads was chosen for the label.
“The road depicted in my painting could be any of the mysterious and well traveled back roads in our home in the mountains,” is how artist Temple Reece described her work "Blue Moon Over the Backroads." Reece’s style is a blend of realism with impressionism.
"Blue Moon Over the Backroads" recently caught the eye of Watauga Lake Winery'sGeneral Manager Allison Eastridge and winery owners, The Waterfront Group. They asked to use the image for their Special Edition Traminette Wine. Watauga Lake Winery said in their announcement that this was “a celebration of art, communityand craftsmanship.”
A winery representative contacted Reece and the Johnson County Center for the Arts about the project. They sharedthe idea of having special edition wine labels featuring the works of local artists.
Asked what sparked the idea to use local artwork on these labels Eastridge said, “A lot of winery staff and myself are from Johnson County, so we know the importance of community. We have a lot of tourists coming through and customers that are from out of town, so we wanted to find a way to highlight and showcase the local talent we have here in Johnson County.”
In their initial meeting Reece showed them photos of works by Art Center artists. Reece said. “When they saw 'Blue Moon Over the Backroads,' they said, ‘that's it! I love that one. Can we use it as the first label?’” From there they worked together and designed the label.
"'Blue Moon Over the Backroads' was painted in oils and cold wax, totally from a vision inside my head,” said Reece. “No photos or reference during a true August Blue Moon. I have painted several area roads but none seemed to flow like this one. It was magical. I hope it resonates with folks in some special way.”
“Allison shared with me that one mission of Watauga Lake Winery is to preserve and bring attention to the natural beauty of this area that we all know and love,” said Reece. One of the manyways they plan to make this happen is by promoting local artists and the arts in Johnson County.In this process Watauga Lake Winery has committed to donating $2 of each bottle sold to support the Johnson County Center for the Arts.
Area artist and Executive Director of the Johnson County Center for the Arts, Cristy Dunn stated, “I’m so proud of this project. I love theway Temple can capture theessence of a place. She loves Johnson County and that really comes through in her work.”
When Eastridge was asked what attracted her to Reece’s art work she said, “Temple’s art is a true reflection of the beautiful landscapes that we are surrounded by here in Johnson County. I think it is important to acknowledge how stunning this area is and what a gift we have been given to live here.”
Watauga Lake Winery will hold a show featuring Reece’s works, Blue Moon Over the Backroads Special Edition Traminette Label being the centerpiece. “I appreciate all the kindness and support of the Watauga Lake Winery and everyone. We have so many talented artists and showcasing and promoting their work enriches the lives of us all.”
You can see more of Reece’s work at Johnson County Center for the Arts’ Gallery on Main or on her website,www.templereece.com.
