Artwalk In Healdsburg

If you haven’t visited Healdsburg at the north end of Sonoma County, California, you should add it to your bucket list. The charming town is centered on a 19th century plaza beckoning the visitor to enjoy galleries, fine dining and wine tasting. If you are fortunate to be there on the second Saturday of the month, between May and December, you will experience Artwalk, the creation of bon vivant and all around genial character Bob Johnson. The participating galleries, all 23 of them, offer wine, appetizers, music and extended hours. Bob, an artist of considerable talent himself, conducts private tours.

For years Bob indulged his irreverent humor poking fun at the pretentiousness of the wine industry. One cartoon shows at man at a wine tasting bar: “Geez, this wine is repulsive.” Server responds: “The Wine Advisor gives it a 96.” Man: “I’ll take a case.” Many of these cartoons are available in various formats, such as note cards. For another example, see the one we used to illustrate blind wine tastings in our Entertainment section.

Even when he’s seriously creating wine labels and packaging, like a stifled giggle, his whimsy still lurks around the edges ever ready to break into a belly laugh. To see more of Johnson’s extraordinary talent on display, go to Johnson Design Portfolio http://www.behance.net/9trebor9.