Discover “Wine Arts” at Pinot’s Palette, Town Square

By Jacqueline Monahan
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Discover “Wine Arts” at Pinot’s Palette, Town Square

Painting parties have been around for several years now, and I’m not talking about the kind that Tom Sawyer once presided over.  There are no fences in need of whitewash, but there are people who like a little cabernet with their canvas.  Pinot’s Palette provides both, and more.

Drinks and Snacks Available for Purchase - Or Bring Your Own!

The Town Square location, right across from Yard House and next to Baobab Stage Theatre, is only a few months old and already hosting enthusiastically attended classes that get participants, many if not all of them first-time novices, to feel comfortable enough to create a pre-determined project out of acrylic paint and, many times, courage.

The Set-Up Before Class

The doors were literally wide open the first time your humble correspondent dropped by for an acrylic adventure, leading into a large open space full of long tables upon which easels and canvases are set.  Paper plates hold small puddles of paint in the project’s colors, and a plastic cup holds water and brushes in various sizes.  Participant names are chalked on the table in front of each easel.  Reservations can be made online, but walk-ins are always welcome.

Class-In-Progress

Most first-time visitors are slightly nervous, as was your Humble Correspondent (HC).  The venue is full of completed landscapes, fantasy images, whimsical animals, and seasonal symbols.  There are variations in canvas size, brush type, orientation (portrait and landscape) and color depending on the chosen project.

Wall of Possibilities

Depending on session size, budding artists sit next to or across from each other at a long, easel-adorned table.  Advance requests for seat placement are accepted and accommodated when possible.  A large, water-filled plastic cup holds brushes of various sizes and a covered paper plate holds the required acrylic colors.  An example of the finished painting is displayed on an easel and a blank canvas, waiting for instructor demonstration is shown on the video screen.

Featured projects

Blue (adult size) aprons and orange (child size) aprons are provided, themselves a form of canvas.  Your HC’s apron resembled the beginning of a Jackson Pollock painting in shades of creations past.

Go Ahead...Get Messy!

Instructor Meegan Boiros leads a step-by-step process, demonstrated live, that culminates in remarkable variations on a theme.  Results are surprisingly accomplished, down to the youngest participant.

The process lends itself to both social and solo pursuits and it’s common to get lost in your own painting at almost a meditational level.  It doesn’t take long to get the paint flowing and participants are encouraged to nibble and drink while creating.  Wine, tea, soft drinks, snacks, granola, popcorn are all available to eat as you create – eat is even in the word create!  The atmosphere is relaxed and casual.

Finished Product I

A frame can be purchased for $40 which really enhances the creation.  Everyone carries away their own personal masterpiece, fully dried of course.  A dryer is available for those who simply can’t stop themselves from applying the brush strokes, adding a detail here or changing a color there.

Finished Product II
 
Pinot’s offers free month-in-advance calendars in full color, detailing the daily painting.  There is usually one offering per day, sometimes two.  Family days are on weekend afternoons and can accommodate artists-in-training as young as seven years of age. The calendars can also be accessed by visiting the website (see below).

Along with myriad colors, Pinot’s painting classes serve up a dose of camaraderie, even among strangers, along with drinks and snacks (not included in the $20-$39 fee).  Pinot’s Palette locations in Boca Park and The District at Green Valley offer even more project options.

Class Photo

The Keith Family Artists

Pinot’s Palette offers a fun way to discover your inner artist, no matter what the skill level or subject.

So Van Gogh already!

For Further Information:
www.pinotspalette.com