Sunday, January 31, 2010

Painting with a Twist

When I received the Groupon offer of the day about a month ago, I had never heard of Painting with a Twist . . . but the concept looked interesting. After I purchased my groupon, I signed up to paint the Dallas Skyline.

You arrive to a space set up with lots of table and easels.

Before we began

The paintings on the walls represent other classes that you can take.

The Food and Drinks tableThere's an area in the corner to set up the food and wine that you're encouraged to bring to class. Here are some of the early arrivals tasting the wine they had just bought around the corner . . . in downtown Grapevine.

Everyone is given a canvas with the outline of that night's painting lightly applied with carbon paper. Then the instructor steps through how to paint it.

Taking a BreakAfter some progress is made, everyone breaks for more food and wine and a walk around.

As you can see, by looking at the handful of canvases in this photo, everyone paints together, painting the same colors in the same places in the same order.  It's a little like Follow-the-Leader. Or Paint by Number with alcohol (and no numbers).

The lady in the foreground is a frequent painter; she had filled up her card (buy 10 classes and earn a free one) and was given her own embroidered Painting with a Twist apron last night. She told me that learning to paint was on her "bucket list." And I could tell that she's having a ball doing it.

Bird's eye viewHere's the artist at work's view . . . or mine, anyway. I never really saw anything the instructor was showing . . . but she did a great job of describing things as she went along.

When we were all done except the "finishing touches," there was another wine and food break.  It was a little surreal to look across the room and see nearly 40 painted canvases that are essentially the same.

Done!

Then we add the finishing touches and took a group shot of the 35 painters holding nearly identical "paintings" of the Dallas Skyline.

If you live in Texas, Louisiana or Florida,  it might be a fun way to spend the evening, especially if you (or a friend) "isn't a painter" and wants to feel like one . . .  sort of.  I have had only limited experience with paint and brushes and it made me want to do more.  I also thought this abstract Dallas Skyline would be an interesting QUILT design . . .

9 comments:

floribunda said...

it reminds me of an article I read in the New Yorker about an artist community in China where they do masses of paintings of tourist spots like Notre Dame or the London Bridge that are all "original" but similar! Sounds like a fun way to get comfortable with paints, though...
(p.s. I spent the afternoon with Kate today, and we talked about you -- in a good way, of course!)

sophie said...

Hmmm. Does that mean you're freezing in the UK or is Kate in California? I'm glad to give you both something to talk about ;-)

Rainbows in Wool said...

reminds me of the bowl paiting.

Kim said...

I just came by because I am looking at the members blogs from Tonya's challenge......and I was thinking when I saw the painting...how fun that would be as a quilt......looks like you already thought of that!
Looks like a fun evening....do you feel like you learned anything new?

Happy sewing

Kim said...

Oh Sophie could you share your liberated wedding ring picture with the group challenge group?....I think its terrific and maybe my inspiration piece. I also was part of that retreat with you on Libquilters and your version of the block made me get the book.

Happy Sewing

Christine Thresh said...

What an odd experience. Perhaps that's how the "old masters" (sold at motels) are done.

Barbara C said...

This sounds like such fun. I'm sure the class is designed to put people at ease and to to give a feeling of accomplishment. The socializing must be a bonus.

Goblinf said...

It does sound a little weird and those pictures show how surreal it must have been! I bet it's a really good introduction to mixing colours (assuming you didn't have them ready mixed) and composition, and in this case, reflections. Also, most people buy a kit to see if they want to take up a hobby, this class is like a social group kit plus. Great idea!

And let's face it, how many times do you think someone is going to walk into a house and say, oh yes that's a Groupon picture, there must be 10.000 of those in existance, I've seen 5 this week - it just won't happen. So as soon as everyone leaves, their painting is uniquely theirs and no-one else has one quite like it. But they have the confidence of knowing theirs is up to the standard of the class.

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