This artist makes amazing paintings using a mom’s favorite – wine. Melissa Proudlock is based out of Ontario, Canada where she works as a graphic designer and does marketing for, get this, a winery – called Vineland Estates. How’s that for being resourceful?

Melissa has been creating these pieces she’s dubbed “wine paintings” for five years now. Two of those, she says, were a lot of trial and error until she finally came up with her signature process, which has yielded gorgeous results.

“I love painting with Baco Noir,” Melissa told us, “as it doesn’t require as many layers to get those rich deep colours for shading, or Amarone.”

Depending on the size of the painting, each piece can take anywhere from 15-30 hours to work, blend, and layer the wine until it becomes a masterpiece like this:

When asked if she drinks wine while she paints, or if she’s ever dipped into her art supplies when her favorite bottle was empty, she said, “The wine that I paint with has either been reduced or mixed with lees (which is sediment from the bottom of wine tanks when they ferment) so, not the best to drink. I do drink while painting but tend to stick with rye as I’ve dipped my brush into my wine glass one too many times. Easier to distinguish between.”

Since Melissa works at a winery, she has lots of wine at her disposal and is often left offerings at her desk from the cellar crew, which she loves. Melissa has had to buy wine at the store, too, which has been awkward, so she’ll explain what she does and show people samples of her work. I know what line I’ll be giving the next cashier wbo gives me Judgy McJudgerson eyes while I’m checking out with my wine haul.

Melissa doesn’t stop short at using wine as a sort of watercolor to paint with; she also makes her frames out of oak staves that have been fermented in wine. Now, that’s a true wine enthusiast.

As you’d expect, Melissa has received a lot of questions about her art, but one request she’s been surprised to hear quite frequently is if people can lick her paintings. I can’t say I blame them — she makes wine look damned good.

While she won’t let you, if you’re in the area, you could always ask Melissa if you can lick her paintings in-person as she gears up to show her wine paintings at the upcoming Comic Con in Niagara Falls.

If you’d like to nab one of these amazing pieces, you can visit Melissa’s website Painted with Wine, or check out her shop, Melissa Proudlock on Etsy.