As we reach the end of the 2015 year, Satek Winery is again selling  limited edition Christmas glasses (pictured above), a popular item that we've carried for some time, but the thought occurred, how much do people really know about a large facet of our merchandise selection, our hand-painted glasses and the woman behind the Wishing Well? Not enough, in our opinion so we are going to rectify that and try to sneak in a good deed under the wire with Santa.

 Tarma Van Aken was a reluctant companion to her mother's One Touch painting lesson in 1999. Her sisters opted out, but she tagged along and in her own words, "got hooked immediately." Starting out painting on the weekends, it slowly grew to a handful of weekdays, and then to every day after work, filling her basement. Her husband ceded the garage after that, and there was no stopping. Her home studio opened, and maintains weekend 10am - 4pm hours. "The longest day I've painted was 16 hours and the least I try to paint is 4" says Van Aken. "Typically I can do a set of 12 glasses in a little over an hour, then dry the acrylic paint for two more hours and then bake them, for durability."

 Her presence at Satek Winery, she says, was a bit of an accident, having stopped in to visit a friend at work in 2005, as well as to buy a bottle of wine to go with some painted glasses for a nephew's wedding gift. The glasses made an impression, and are still a feature today. "I can't imagine doing anything else. Thank you for those of you who continue to support my business."

 Though Satek Winery focuses on wine related materials, Van Aken's Wishing Well carries a number of other themes and mediums, and is having a Holiday Open House, from December 4th to the 6th, 10am to 6pm. Her professional sites can be found here and here, and she teaches a monthly One Stroke class, to pass on her love of painting and self-described "insanity of creativity."