So what is a "Paint and Sip" studio?

When we decided to take over For the Love of Art studio I remember the next time I saw my Pastor I said, “guess what?” <Pastor pauses and shows look of anticipation> “We bought a Sip and Paint studio!” With a quizical brow he asked, “your going to do what with paint now?” He had never heard of one and I think maybe he thought we’d gone mad. I had to explain. We decided to refer to it as a paint and sip studio now, since it could otherwise sound like we are sipping on paint and we are most definitely not. LOL!

So maybe, some of you don’t really know what a Paint and Sip studio is either? Maybe you have somewhat of an idea of the concept but you’ve never been to one and it seems a little intimidating, or maybe you’re not sure if it would be fun if you’re not really an artist, who knows? Well, your friends that have been to one, they keep relentlessly begging you because they know you would have a great time and they aren’t going to stop because yes, it’s just that fun, so let me enlighten you and entice you a little more. After all, I’m not the begging friend, but I may be a little biased because after all, I think everyone should come to a class at my studio.

So what’s it like?

First, people go to our website to see our Studio Calendar or they surf the events on our Facebook page to see what painting they like (they start daydreaming about where they are going to hang it in their house or work or what person they can gift it to for the next holiday or birthday) and then they see if the date and time works for them. Second, they click “Book Now” next to the photo of the painting and register online to attend the class to learn to paint that painting. Third, they recruit friends/family or a date to go with them. (Or, maybe they have already done this before they registered.) And lastly, they grab some snacks and drinks and show up to the studio about 10 minutes early to get checked in for the paint party.

Once in the studio, they are greeted by a friendly face, who welcomes them and like I mentioned does the checking them in thing and shows them where everything is in the studio that they might want/need like a paint smock, the bathrooms, the coffee bar area with our FREE coffee (donation requested). We’ve got light or dark roast K-cups, flavored creamers, and sweeteners. We also have complimentary bottled water for our guests. Have a music request? You can mention to the artist what genre you would like to hear and she will do her best to find a playlist through apple music, pandora or any other music app that connects to our Sonos sound system. After everyone arrives the artist will welcome everyone and introduce herself, the studio and the painting that they will be doing for the night.

In front of every painter will be a 16x20 canvas on a table top easel with a water cup, paint brushes and a paint plate with an assortment of colors in front of them. There may be a stencil, piece of chalk or a pencil if the painting requires it. Our friendly, upbeat and patient artist is there to make everyone feel welcome and encouraged as they journey together as a group to paint the specific painting for that class. She will tell you how much of what colors to gather, mix and apply to your canvas and in what way you should move your brush to get the desired look. If you need them to repeat a step, show you up close or you have a question, don’t be shy just ask! We want you to have the best experience and feel completely proud of yourself when you are done. After all, we just might request your picture to put it on social media or our website! (If it’s ok with you of course.)

The classes are usually about 2 hours in length. We do build in 3 hours just in case there are more questions or if anyone wants to add more details when the teaching is officially over. We don’t want anyone to feel rushed, but we also understand that some people’s attention span for art is a little shorter than others. That’s ok!

Our goal is to get people engaged in more art and to have a good time doing it! You will be surprised at what you can do with just a little guidance and encouragement and a magic wand in your hand (I mean, paint brush). Plus, we will clean up the mess! It’s a win win.

Most people get a sense of refreshment and some enter whats called a “flow”. Artists know this as a blissful moment when you feel alive and engaged with your hands in making art. You forget about what time it is, what worries you came to the canvas with and a brain chemical euphoria takes place where joy begins to brighten your moments as your paint. It continues long after you leave the studio and your mind feels rested, restored and more focused. A lot of people report having more creative ideas and thoughts about other things in their lives in the days following. That’s awesome! Who wouldn’t want that? Especially with our every increasing busy culture. We need more things to help us stress less. And art is one of them!!

So, I hope that this has been informative for you and you feel more confident with coming in, with those friends of yours, to give it a try. We will guide you step-by-step, no worries!

Any ages are welcome. We do have classes more geared toward kids, but we leave it up to the parents discretion if they think their child is capable and if they don’t mind that the environment on many of our evening classes can get a little loud with people having some drinks to unwind.

BYOB. That stands for ‘bring your own beverage.’ like I said, we have the coffee and the water, but if you want to bring a little wine or some beer, feel free. Just no hard liquor please. We want everyone to be safe and drink responsibly but we understand that a little alcohol can help people feel a little more at ease and your painting might look a little better;)

See you soon!