2010 Midlands HB Charity Wine Auction "Wine Tasters"

Well known Piera McArthur is this year’s Midlands Hawke’s Bay Charity Wine Auction artist.

“This is the second time Piera has been chosen as the wine auction artist, she was the selected artist in 1993 when her painting “The Winetasting” sold for a then record amount of $6100 ” says Graeme Milne Cranford Hospices fundraising, communications and marketing manager. “She commands such a strong following that it made sense for us to engage her once again.”

The painting was inspired by Piera’s memory of Russian puppet shows, which are lively, vibrant and “go back into the mists of time”. “They are still a lively and amusing part of Russian cultural life, and tend to be satirical” says Piera. “Against a brilliant yellow background, and flanked by the dramatically dark stage curtains, two figures sample a vintage wine. One may well wonder what comments they are making... learned, enthusiastic, pretentious, or otherwise. That’s why I call this painting "Wine Tasters", and leave the rest to the imagination.”

Piera has lived extensively overseas as her husband had a career with Foreign Affairs. She has exhibited in Paris London & Moscow as well as throughout New Zealand. Whilst living in Moscow in the 1990’s she became the first NZ solo exhibitor there with her 1990 New Treiakov Gallery Soviet Artist Union sponsored exhibition of over 100 of her works. She returned to New Zealand in 1992 and lived in Hawkes Bay until recently when she moved to Wellington.

The painting will be on display at 20 participating wineries over the next six months.