Uptown Blanco Art Center is very pleased to have as their first show of 2011: Sweetheart Art with Hill Country artists Joe and Wren Winfield.

Joe and Wren met in the jardin　in San Miguel D‘Allende Mexico in 2001. Joe was making a Plein Air painting of the church, and as she watched him paint, Wren was immediately drawn to his wild style! 　　One year later they were married in San Francisco with a Day Of The Dead bride and groom winking at them from a ‘top their wedding cake! 　In 2007 they settled on the Texas Hill Country as the perfect place to live and make art. They bought land just west of Johnson City, and began building their dream art studio. The public is invited to visit their studio on Saturday February 12th from 11-6, when it will be open for visitors.

Joe mostly paints on his own. You can see examples of his work on his website www.joewinfieldart.com. 　Wren works in the healing arts as an Acupuncturist and Herbalist. 　In addition to their individual creative expressions, they often collaborate　on mixed media art and painting.

When Joe and Wren make a painting together, Wren provides the painting concept and Joe makes the painting come to life with his fearless use of color, gesture and brush stroke. Wren says that she could never do what Joe does, and Joe says　he couldn’t do it without her. Joe Winfield retired early from a law career to paint full time. The European Fauvist movement (les Fauves-"the wild beasts") of the early 1900s along with the Abstract Expressionism of Mark Rothko have been crucial influences in Joe’s development as a painter.

Wren had a very busy　Acupuncture practice in San Francisco　when she met Joe.　Before becoming too busy, she had been a film maker and print maker.　Wren and Joe share their home in the rolling hills of the Texas Hill Country with their menagerie of rescued dogs, horses, and　mules. Wren spends most of her time riding her horses when she isn’t making recycled wool art or collaborating with Joe.

Come celebrate Valentines’ day and a love of art with this exciting show at the Art Center this Friday (February 4) 5-7 pm, the public is welcome to view and purchase works of Winfield art and enjoy complimentary hor’s d’oeuvres and wine. Stacia Woods, Hill Country jeweler, will have Sweetheart themed jewelry for sale, too.