KIM KLABE - WINE AND BEER POUR ART
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ARTIST STATEMENT

I began working in wine and beer pours in August of 2017, after working in oils and watercolors for over 30 years. Painting had become stifling, and boredom had set in. Representational painting was not only very competitive, but lacked what I desperately needed - a way to express myself freely and creatively. 

Working in pours re-connected me to the creativity and imagination I experienced in art school. The direction of the wine dictates how distorted a figure may or may not be, and no longer is representation a necessary part of my painting. There is no sketching to plan the drawing, I go right to the pour with a marker and try to reign in the happy chaos of the pour. This is a self-imposed discipline that energizes me and encourages me to think that there are no "mistakes". Three eyes and 12 fingers are actually quite the norm. The pours cause people to look, to reflect, to think and yes - to laugh. The colors and the energy draw the eye and conversation ensues. The fact that the pours get their start from wine and beer only adds to the conversation.

Pours are made by pouring wine or dark beer on #400 watercolor paper, letting the liquid dry, then looking at the dried stain/image to see what shapes appear. Those shapes are defined with markers and colored pencil, using the lines/shapes of the pour. Some of the wine or beer stain is left untouched, other areas are mostly covered, but the integrity of the pour remains. 

Sometimes I have no direction for the final outcome, and discover as I go along.

So why wine and beer? I love the way the wine and beer move across the textured paper - their color, the way they puddle and leave shimmery sugars behind. I love how wine and beer can bring people together for laughs and conversation. It's an unusual medium, and that's pretty cool in and of itself.  And yes, I like it - but no, I didn't accidentally spill wine and get the inspiration!

Titles of the pours are taken exclusively from current events (whether world-wide or personal events), and help
date stamp a place in time. 

This medium is unique and unusual and has helped me connect with my true love for art and expression.
I hope you love it as much as I do.
​
Click on the image to get the story behind the titles, or to zoom in and to get sharper images.
Pours come mounted on a cradled wood board and wired to hang. 
If you live within 30 miles of Rehoboth/Lewes DE and don't need shipping, use coupon code NoShipping.

Democracy's Demise 4

$350.00

Sold out

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Democracy's Demise 3

$350.00

Sold out

12 x 14

Guinness pour and various red wines


The storming of the Capitol on January 6 was horrifying. Just as we thought 2021 looked promising.

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How Did You Sleep?

$375.00

16 x 20

Dogfish Head Worldwide Stout


Inspired by an increasingly difficult time getting a full night's sleep.

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Wildfire Roo

$195.00

8 x 10

wine pour


The wildfires in Australia became lost in the crazy of 2020.

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The Dude Abides

$495.00

22 x 30

Night Harvest Reserve wine pour


A take on the The Big Lebowski

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The Nutcracker

$495.00

30 x 22

Merlot wine pour


Isn't he a beauty? His name is a play on words - I was listening to the Nutcracker while working on this wine pour, but he also looks like he could live up to his namesake. :)



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Secret Creatures

$495.00

22 x 30

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout


From a lyric within "Say Goodbye" by Dave Matthews Band.

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Deliver Me in a Black Winged Bird

$350.00

16 x 20

Cab Franc wine pour


After the Counting Crows song, Rain King. A young girl jumping up and away from her troubled childhood home.

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Young American

$495.00

30 x 22

Dogfish Head Worldwide Stout


A young Bowie.

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Mother Ocean 2

$275.00

Sold out

11 x 14

Guinness Beer pour


No hidden meaning here....just a beautiful mermaid swimming along to a Jimmy Buffet song.

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Come Tomorrow

$495.00

22 x 30

Guinness beer pour


Named for the Dave Matthew's song "Come Tomorrow"


Old man spat and cursed as he spoke

It's all going to hell and the whole world is broken

Little kid is busy making plans

Save the whole world along with that old man


It's far as I can see

A better way for you and me

Is to let the children run the show

Not too long and we'd be good to go


All the girls and boys would sing

Come tomorrow we get everything

So as long as we survive today

Come tomorrow, we're gonna find a way


Yeah, as far as I can see

We should let the children lead the way


Bang bang you're dead now could be real

I got a bag of smoke come on let's make a deal

Yeah, bridges burn but tomorrow is another day

To feed the world and then go outside and play


Yeah, farmers farm and dancers dance all night

Lovers love and the firefighters fight

Let the children run the show

Not too long and we'd be good to go


All the girls and boys would sing

Come tomorrow we get everything

So as long as we survive today

Come tomorrow, we're gonna find a way


Yeah, as far as I can see

We gotta let the children lead the way


Storms will rise out of innocent skies

Times will change as you let the children play the game


All the girls and boys would sing

Come tomorrow we get everything

So as long as we survive today

Come tomorrow, we're gonna find a way

All the girls and boys would sing

Come tomorrow we get everything


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Black Dog

$795.00

30 x 40
Gnarly Head Black wine pour

After Led Zeppelin's song of the same name. He also looks a whole lot like my dog Hanks.

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Social Distancing

$495.00

22 x 30

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout


Created during the Covid 19 quarantine. The figure on the right, wearing gloves and a mask and trying to move away from the figure on the left who has no gloves or masks, and is yelling aggressively (with a peace t-shirt.) This illustrates the division (another way we're divided) regarding the quarantine. Some folks are currently storming government offices in Michigan, demanding the government "open" the state. Some of the protesters wore masks (ironically) some did not. Many toted assault rifles, trump flags, etc. How did a virus become political?

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Captain Fantastic

$795.00

30 x 40

Gnarly Head Black


Elton John was one of my first musical loves. His albums had some of the best artwork you could find (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, specifically). I would pour over the lyrics and the art while I wore the albums out.


This fantastic fellow is a nod to both Elton and all the guys who fancied themselves to be fantastic in the 70's.

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Roxanne

$495.00

30 x 22

Barbera wine pour, marker, pencil


After "Roxanne" by the Police. They started my love of the New Wave moment in the late 70's.

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Truly Gone Fishing

$795.00

30 x 40

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout


From "The Trial" by Pink Floyd.


"Crazy

Toys in the attic, I am crazy

Truly gone fishing

They must have taken my marbles away

Crazy, toys in the attic he is crazy"

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Daring Escape

$275.00

Sold out

14 x 23
Daring Escape Red

Funny how the dog emerged from this multiple pour of Daring Escape Red. Just coincidental that it looks like that's exactly what he's doing.

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Firewater

$495.00

20 x 24

Cabernet

From the Barflies collection. fire +‎ water, a calque of a Native American language term, probably Ojibwe ishkodewaaboo (“alcohol”), from ishkode (“fire”) + aaboo (“liquid”, glossed in older works as “water”). A number of other Algonquian and Siouan languages also refer to whiskey with compounds that mean "fire-water".

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Starting Over

$795.00

30 x 40

Middle Sister Rebel Red

From the Barflies collection. We've all started over before - getting our lives right, post-addiction, post-divorce, post empty nest. The metamorphosis follows.

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Gin Blossoms

$795.00

30 x 40

Malbec

From the Barflies collection. The older dude who's drank so much in his life, that his nose is full of gin blossoms.

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The Jester

$495.00

22 x 30

19 Crimes Dark Red

This follows "While the King Was Looking Down", a previous pour. (The Jester stole his thorny crown.)

Bob Mueller, where are you.

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Ladies Night

$495.00

22 x 30

Malbec


From the Barflies Collection.The beautiful woman enjoying Ladies Night.

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All Revved Up With No Place to Go

$495.00

22 x 30

Gnarly Head wine pour


Inspired by Meatloaf's song of the same name. One of those songs you just have to belt out.

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Exonerated

$275.00

12 x 24

Milk Stout

The report does WHAT?

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Yellow Ledbetter

$225.00

11 x 14

16 Mile Tiller Brown


Inspired by Pearl Jam, fueled by washboard.

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Back on the Market

$275.00

11 x 14

Petit Verdot -Black Hops Winery Red


Fresh from a break-up, back on the market, and none too happy about it.

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Goodbye Blue Sky

$200.00

8 x 10

Malbec

Daddy's flown, cross the ocean. Leaving just a memory. - props to Pink Floyd's The Wall album, which is ultra-relevant today.

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Freebird

$295.00

8 x 22

Gnarly Head Black


When I hear Freebird, my brain transports me to 1978 and 79 at the Electric Gramophone in Stanton DE. The Gramophone was an under 21 "club" that had a huge dance floor with a dj, lots of dark corners to make out in, and a big smoking lounge (seems impossible now, but yeah). Freebird was a regularly requested song because it was a long "slow" song so you could get close to someone you wanted to press up against for a while. But then the song would pick up to an awkward "fast" song and left you kind of pulling apart and shrugging at your dance partner as you would awkwardly separate. Ah, youth.

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Stephon's Cerebral Escape

$275.00

8 x 22

Gnarly Head Black


Stephon is jamming out to Ben Folds in his Ben Folds t-shirt.

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The Coven (triptych)

$1,500.00

(3) 22 x 30 vertical panels

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout Beer Pour


The first panel shows multiple witches, some young and of child-bearing age with tortured souls waiting to be birthed. Behind these young women are the old crones, wise and watching.

The second panel shows a child being observed by a Coven member for "recruitment, a warlock in a grey robe and a drunken witch.

The third panel shows a prominent Leader of the Coven, looking to a former Leader for guidance and another old crone.

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Well Regulated Division

$495.00

22 x 30

Gnarly Head Black


A red elephant and blue donkey, sharing the same body - one right side up, one upside down, both pulling in different directions.

A child with a Don't Shoot! t-shirt with a bullseye in the center.

A newly pregnant woman with an embryo that's up for debate.

A hooded individual and a shooting gun, referring to the rise of white supremacy and the Nazi movement

The devil - always making a show in any pour that I perceive to speak out against evil.

An old man shouting at the news because the world is changing.

A uterus with an "egg factory". Well regulated. Who does it belong to?

Eyes wide shut - a non-voter with closed eyes...taking whatever is handed to them.

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Spirit of August

$225.00

11 x 14

Daring Escape Red


Completed during the hot, wonderful month of August on the historic grounds of the Rehoboth Art League. Native Americans used to live along the banks of the canals.

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Medicinal

$195.00

8 x 10

Gnarly Head Black


Well, it can be!

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Smokin' the Kool-Aid

$150.00

8 x 10

16 Mile Tiller Brown


Lots of koolaid drinking nowadays.

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Rocket to the Moon

$350.00

16 x 20

16 Mile Tiller Brown


So many women getting recognition for their power and strength. In politics, in business, being strong and capable leaders. Makes me smile. Keep rocketing!

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Olivia's Ballerina

$225.00

Sold out

8 x 10

Beaujolais Nouveau

A young lady named Olivia found this beautiful ballerina in this pour at the Rehoboth Art League 2018 Outdoor Show.

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The Basket

$325.00
16 x 20
Vanish Milk Stout, artist markers, colored pencil on #400 watercolor paper
Inspired by handing my daughter a basket from her childhood that was full of well-preserved toys and memories that immersed her in childhood memories.
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Saturday Morning Cartoons

$200.00

8 x 10

19 Crimes Dark Red


I was such a fan of Saturday morning cartoons and Sunday comics, that my brain felt like this....full of activity, completely stimulated by the colors.

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Very Fine People

$300.00

12 x 24

16 Mile Tiller Brown

"Excuse me, excuse me. They didn’t put themselves -- and you had some very bad people in that group, but you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides. You had people in that group. Excuse me, excuse me. I saw the same pictures as you did. You had people in that group that were there to protest the taking down of, to them, a very, very important statue and the renaming of a park from Robert E. Lee to another name." - Donald Trump

Ugh. No, there's not very fine people "on both sides".

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Mick

$200.00

8 x 10

Beaujolais Nouveau


Mick looks like a combination of two people I know - Mike and Nick, hence his name. He had a lot of wine poured on him at the RAL 2018 Outdoor Show.

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Rehoboth Boardwalk

$325.00

16 x 20

Vanish Milk Stout, artist markers, colored pencil on #400 watercolor paper


A giant stuffed rainbow lizard, a wild shirtless guy, dads with backpacks and other strange creatures. A typical day on the boardwalk.

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The Vaper

$175.00

11 x 14

Petit Verdot


From the Barflies Collection. The young guy who keeps ducking out of the bar to vape.

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Rising Above

$200.00

8 x 10

Malbec


Sometimes you have to rise above the stupidity.

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The Dragon Tamer

$495.00

22 x 30

Apothic Red


The once fierce dragon is now becoming docile as the tiny tamer works his magic. I have fantasies of what's right in the world battling what's wrong in this way.

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Evolution

$325.00

18 x 24

Malbec

Currently on exhibit at the Bold Expressions International Juried Show, Northern California Arts, Inc. in Sacramento CA.


From cavepeople to modern man, slavery, building of pyramids, the life and death cycle and the bridge that connects us all.

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I Wear The Chains I Forged In Life

$495.00

22 x 30

Milk Stout


The drama continues. Putin, Flynn, the Saudi Prince and the murder of the WP journalist, Individual Number One in the Mueller probe.

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Forgive Me Father, For I Have Sinned

$275.00
7 x 23
Guinness, artist markers, colored pencil on #400 watercolor paper

This is in reference to the Catholic priests in Chile, sexually assaulting hundreds of children and the horror for the Chilean people watching it be dismissed as a sin that can be forgiven. Some sins can't be.
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I'm on the Pavement (thinking 'bout the government.)

$495.00
24 x 30
Cabernet and Guiness mix, artist markers, colored pencil on #150 watercolor paper

Lots going on in this one. Lyrics from Pink (Dear Mr. President), Bob Dylan (Subterranean Homesick Blues and Like a Rolling Stone) and some ramblings from myself regarding systemic failures of our outdated patriarchal society. The dove of peace carrying an olive branch is at the top left, animals that are hunted (bear and elephant) for trophies are present, a man with a red tie symbolizes our current Pres and those who support him, African patterns that represent our roots, and a pensive female face taking it all in.
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