In vino veritas - in wine truth, painting by the artist. Photograph by Natalie Mills

Last Thursday Tesoro Winery hosted another of it’s bi-weekly So-Cal Artist Nights, celebrating the work of local artists paired with local wine and food. Igor Koutsenko was the nights featured artist and he presented a large array of his art featuring a wide variety of styles.

Igor Koutsenko artist extrordinare. Photograph by Natalie Mills

Mr. Koutsenko said that he was well trained (very) in Russia, where he attended classical art studies. What he did not say, but rather let his art express was the vast scale of media and technique that he was adapt at. Without being exhaustive; India Ink, Mechanical Pen, Graphite, Oil Paint and others. I have rarely seen an artist adapt at so much variety in his drawing. The scope and breadth of his work is a must see, simply because it covers so much ground.

Mr. Koutsenko was quiet and soft spoken, abet with a glimpse of mischief in the eye. If pressed, he would tell a little tale of how each drawing or painting came into being. Some of the anecdotes are amusing, with others a statement of the human condition.

Fellow artist Pierre Mainguene, discussing Koutsenko's work. Photograph by Natalie Mills

If you would like to see more of his work, you may visit his blog at: http://ikoutsenko.blogspot.com

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be taught by the artist at The Fallbrook School of the Arts, in which he teaches classical drawing and the secrets of color, for a very reasonable fee. See http://www.fallbrookschoolofthearts.org for more information.

Viewing art and talking to artists is thirsty work. During the evening we were treated to a soon to be released Super Tuscan and a Sangiovese. The Super Tuscan was recently bottled, and needs a little more time to settle down. The Sangiovese was made from Paso Robles grapes and was a beautiful example of the varietal in California.

Tesoro Winery is looking forward to this years harvest, as they are going to be able to start using their own grapes after waiting patiently for the vines to mature.

If you are in Old Town Temecula, be sure to stop by Tesoro Winery’s Tasting room, besides the wine, it is jam packed with wine related merchandise, much of it hand made.

Tesoro Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon. Photograph by Natalie Mills

Tesoro Winery’s So-Cal Artist Series is ongoing. The next featured artist is Jim Bates, who specializes in watercolor. http://tesorowineryjimbates.eventbrite.com/