Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Vintage Sails Painting

Vintage Sails - Merlot2Masterpiece

Has anyone else noticed the number of Painting Classes that have popped up recently? In Houston, there are at least 3: Painting with a Twist, Pinot's Palette and Merlot2Masterpiece. I recently found a Groupon (thanks to Monica!) for Merlot2Masterpiece and decided on a painting called "Vintage Sails" - because my dad's birthday is in September and he grew up by the Adriatic Sea, so I thought this would be a great gift! And if I messed it up, I had a month to figure out something else to get him.

This was my first time taking a painting class solo, and since it was far from home, I didn't bring any wine. If you do bring something else to drink, be careful not to dip your paintbrush in the wine glass - yes, this is from experience. :( The class was not entirely full, which I enjoyed because I didn't have to fight for elbow space. The artist was very passionate, full of energy and seemed to enjoy teaching us, despite our incessant questions. Upon arriving, Susan (Sue) handed you a paper plate with the necessary paint colors and you could choose your seat.

Paint colors and blank canvas

I picked a seat up front because I wanted to make sure I had a good view of what needed to be done. Sue was very kind in explaining steps several times to make sure we understand exactly how to replicate the above painting. Of course, if you are at ALL artistic, you can take your own spin on the painting. I'm not artistic, so I followed directions as much as possible.

Background layer

The first part seemed easy enough and the colors were gorgeous, so I was happy, though a bit dubious as to how this would all turn out. Sue walked around to help guide anyone who asked or looked like they needed help. I think we all accepted a little help. It's amazing how a little one-on-one guidance can help you get just the right looking wave or mountain. We got a little break after doing the background layer and those that brought food or drinks could refuel and refill while the painting dried. It was a light, chatty and fun atmosphere. It was also really fun to walk around and see how everyone's paintings looked slightly different. The lady behind me LOVED using globs of paint and I think her's looked awesome.

Addition of mountains and sky

The rest of the painting (until we got to the boats) was fairly straightforward. If you messed up, you could just go over it with another color and try again. This was my saving factor! I took another class at a different place and the painting looked great until we got to the bench. My bench looked like a tanning bed. It was a disaster and I was so upset...so when we got to the boats, I was nervous. It takes a little talent to be able to see the parts of the boat and replicate them with paint. Sue used a white board to draw out the shapes for us and I think this was genius! It helped me a lot and after looking at other people's paintings, I think it was an all-around success.

Final painting! Vintage Sails by Sara
And there you have it! Of course, there are parts that I don't absolutely love, but overall, I think it turned out great. I even got it framed while I was there. I hope my dad likes it! What do you think? Have you taken any of these classes? I think they are a great way to spend a few hours with some friends, or alone! Even if you have no talent, you can laugh at your finished product and remember the fun you had creating it!

2 comments:

  1. did your dad like the painting? i don't see any tanning beds in this one, great job lady! :)

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  2. HIs birthday is next week, so we shall see!

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