There are countless old wives tales about the best ways to conceal or clean those pesky wine stains but none of them are as creative or as beautiful as the stunning wine stain portraits created by artist Amelia Fais Harnas.
The artist creates portraits by staining fabric with red wine using wax to create dark and light toned patterns that in her own words result in “a blend of chaos and control”.
Amelia Fais Harnas concedes the perpetual challenge of trying to contain the unpredictable nature of wine in order to produce a piece of art that is a true reflection of the individual’s character, is one of her main sources of intrigue.
Refreshingly and despite the hugely impressive results, the artists admits she drinks the wine while she goes about creating her remarkable pieces of work!
Writing on her website www.trulyamelia.com, she explains: “The first stains were made with a bottle of French Cahors, but subsequent stains feature Finger Lakes reds, like Damiani’s Vino Rosso, chosen for deep color, tannins, and low residual sugar.
“These works are fragile, so they entail a higher level of care than works in more traditional media. They require certain climate conditions, much like a good bottle of wine should be stored in a wine cellar.”
It Is One Thing to Sing the Beloved | 2011 | wine stain on cotton with embroidery
The artist began her wine inspired forays by initially adding embroidery or machine sewing in order to accentuate the portrait's composition.
Some say you will need a plethora of ingredients such as white wine, salt, baking soda or talcum powder to clear up a red wine stain but the team at
CellarVie Wines think the patently talented Amelia Fais Harnas has come up with the finest solution yet!
The Consultant | 2012 | Damiani Rougeon on cotton
To view more works by Amelia Fais Harnas click here.
Main image: The Winemaker, No. 3 | 2012| Damiani Vino Rosso on cotton