Let’s sign up! A friend sent me a text and the information for an upcoming Painting With A Twist class. These paintings were all about tea. There was no stopping my inner Bob Ross and visions of his happy clouds and trees. I could not resist!
Painting With A Twist
This is a paint and sip studio where you grab some friends, a beverage of choice, some snacks and let your inner artist create a masterpiece (of sorts). Step by step painting instruction and with no experience necessary.
Our Painting Instructor
Ms M greeted us cheerfully and explained all the set up. There were my two friends and myself doing the Teatime in Wonderland painting on one side of the table, four people on the other side doing Teatime in the Orient. Ms. M was going to have to wear many hats to keep us on track. She sent us off to grab our aprons. The wine, snacks and paint began to flow.
Mixing Paint
The very first step for my painting was the background. Ms M suggested if we desired we could make the background a kind of teal and the ways to create the teal color for the background by mixing white, blue and a small amount of green. No teal paint? Create my own? Ok I committed to that color but then realized I had to keep recreating it (or close enough) as I did not make the right amount the first time. Ah artist woes and that was only the beginning. Ms M reassured me that it would all work out.
Mr Motivator
On the other side of the table hidden behind canvases were Mr Motivator and his friend. The painting they were doing was Asian inspired with bamboo and lanterns. At some point he told his friend what a great job she was doing and we thanked him for giving us the push too. Many laughs, conversation and motivation with them continued throughout the night.
Artistic Style
I sat in between my two friends. The invitee friend had a very Picasso-esq kind of style. She was going rogue and painting ahead and adding her own flair. I expected nothing less from Ms. Red.
My other friend was Monet very thorough and detailed. She should seriously give up her employment as lean towards painting being her new direction.
Me…. well……My style was more paint by numbers but it was so much fun!
The Painting
After the many questions of what brush should I have used-oh you meant black, not brown to mix with that and so on I ended up really pleased with my painting and had such a fun night.
The Tea
The final touch on my creation was the tea itself. What would be in the teabag. For my tea inspiration I thought of all of the tea from my tea journey adding a little bit of David’s Tea Cream of Earl Grey mixed with Old Barrel Tea Company Sweet Gunpowder with Portland Blend by Stash and so many others. I think that part took the longest out of my whole painting. Besides what is ever more important than the tea?
Have you ever been to a paint and sip event? Keep your eye out for one with tea. I can’t wait to find my painting a home.