YOU DON’T NEED TO BRING ANYTHING.
Classes are paid in advance, and we provide 100% of your painting supplies, protective smocks, wine glasses, corkscrews and even ice buckets, paper plates, so you don’t have to show up with anything other than your alcohol if you choose!
Part of the joy of painting and sipping is that you get to snack while painting, so you let us know your preferences and we set up some munchies.
Also, there are no limits to what you can and can’t bring to eat… although we do recommend leaving the tuna fish at home.
THERE’S A PAINT-FREE SPACE FOR YOUR FOOD AND DRINKS.
Don’t worry about dripping paint on your hummus platter! Our studio will have a counter or table to accommodate food, bottles, plates, etc. Your painting table will have enough space for wine glasses and snack plates, and people get up throughout the class to go back for seconds.
Your instructor will also provide you with intermittent breaks so you can top off without missing a brushstroke.
THERE ARE ADULT CLASSES AND CHILDREN CLASSES.
Adult classes
The overwhelming majority of our attendees are over 21 years old. Painters have to be at least 13 to come to an adult class, and we don’t allow unaccompanied minors. These classes are designed to be fresh, creative spaces where adults can have a drink and unwind.
Children’s Classes
These include birthday parties, day camps or family day with the kids where we do special kids theme paintings and snacks and any age is allowed to attend.
We have special rates for parties.
CLASSES ARE 2-3 HOURS LONG.
Class length depends on the painting your studio chooses. Plan for a full evening!
IT’S NICE TO SHOW UP 30 MINUTES EARLY.
Most painters show up early to get their food and beverages set up and enjoy a bit of downtime with their friends before the painting officially begins. We start right on time!
IT’S SUPER EASY TO HEAR OUR ARTISTS’ INSTRUCTIONS.
You don’t need to know a single thing about painting prior to showing up. Our instructors will talk you through everything you need to know, from how to mix paint colors to what sort of brush strokes to use. Want to customize your painting? They’ll help you with that, too.
Our studios are designed with a few details in mind, like keeping the painting space small and intimate, and allowing our instructors’ voices to be heard over music and chatter. We promise to make it easy to hear and follow our artists’ instructions.
Scheduled Classes
We also offer special themed scheduled classes throughout the year that you can sign up for and attend as an individual or as a couple of friends just hanging out. These are relaxed, the painting is already chosen, you just show up with your beverage of choice.
Please note, we are open by appointment/event only. If you would like to schedule a venue tour or private event, please email us via our website. If you are interested in attending a public event, be sure to check out our upcoming events calendar.
The Budding Artist
We meet a lot of people in our studios who really want to be painters, but either don’t know where to start or just can’t seem to find the time to make it happen. Figuring out what supplies you need, coming up with ideas of what to paint, refining your skills and making time for a new hobby are easier said than done.
If you feel stuck or overwhelmed, here are a few tips that should help you make the transition from wanting to, to regular hobby painter.
Start with Limited Supplies
If you’re brand new to painting, it’s best to limit your supplies and do smaller paintings. This not only keeps you from throwing money at supplies you don’t need and may never use, but it also makes painting more approachable. Start with two to four paint brushes of different sizes and styles, and four to six paint colors. Try a canvas pad before painting on actual canvases. While standing in front of a blank canvas can feel daunting, the canvas pad is often less intimidating because it feels more casual.
Don’t Try to Make Masterpieces
Don’t rush the process of getting used to the way paint acts, learning which brush styles you like best and learning how to mix colors. Your only goal at this point is to learn the basics. Paint small spaces, and paint anything and everything – a shoe, an abstract, a solid-colored block, a cat, a cardboard box. The subject doesn’t matter. You’ll make some really ugly stuff and mess up a lot along the way. Embrace the ugly things! These lessons will serve you well when you take on bigger projects. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t attempt elaborate landscapes and starry nights and portraits, because you should. But the focus needs to be on the process, not the result.
Paint All the Time
If you relegate painting to “whenever I have time,” you’ll never become a painter. Look at your schedule and figure out the minimum amount of time you can paint each day or week. Thirty minutes after dinner each night? Forty-five minutes each weekend? THEN NO EXCUSES.
Try Other Mediums
This is especially great for staying in practice on those days when you’re away from home or can’t break out the paints for some other reason. Carry a sketchbook and practice shading and composition with a pencil, colored pencils or charcoal. The lessons you learn in one medium will serve you well in any other medium. Switching your medium from time to time is also a great way to overcome painter’s block!
Take fun beginner classes like the ones at Morelliville Farms. Art by Nikki classes are a great launching board or way to build your experience. Visiting as a beginning and then again with some know-how under your belt are two totally different experiences. Once you’re confident with a brush and know a few things about how to paint, you’ll start picking up on a lot more of the subtleties in your instructor’s technique, which you can apply to your own methods. You’ll leave the studio with a long mental list of things to go home and try out!
