Ever fancied yourself an artist?
Or maybe just want to take a stab at it?
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Or just want an excuse to drink wine?
Painting with a Twist is a fantastic way to answer those questions over wine and some acrylics.
Nestled in west Arlington, over off Green Oaks Boulevard and Pleasant Ridge, Painting with a Twist offers painting “classes” where you can bring your own wine.
The company has scads of locations nationwide, but each Painting with a Twist is independently operated, so if you have been to one – you have not been to all.
My friend and I have always wanted to try a painting with wine event, and as I was scrolling through the Arlington’s Paint with a Twist calendar of events, the calendar clearly shows the painting being featured at every event and the price tag (about $35 a person).
There were a lot of fun ones, but then I found the perfect painting to try.
The Arlington location had a “Rainbow Starry Night” event set for one June Saturday. It was a rendition of Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh, but it had a more rainbow-color palette. Since it was Pride Month and the event featured one of my favorite artists, I was stoked to try my hand at impressionism.
We showed up the requested 30 minutes before our 7 p.m. class, and we were the only ones there for about five minutes. We came prepared with wine (a decent red blend) and no expectations.
There are two rooms, one for a private party – which is seemingly a popular option – and the other was for our class. We got canvases, grabbed aprons, uncorked our wine and watched as our instructor put out paper plates and filled the paint we needed for our Starry Night.
Once it was around 7 p.m., our instructor started the painting “class.”
There is instruction, and TVs are available so you don’t have to crane your neck to watch the instructor, but the painting became more of a fun thing.
I have a background in artistic endeavors, being a photographer and doing mixed media pieces when the mood strikes, so I usually like taking the time and being able to fix mistakes.
That being said, I had so much fun painting Van Gogh on the verge of being tipsy in less than two hours.
I thought it would be like a beginner art class but with wine. Instead, it was more conversing and goofing off – the painting becoming a quirky souvenir of a hang sesh with friends.
I didn’t care that it’s not my best work, but I actually really like my end product. And I did learn a thing or two.
But, ultimately, my friend and I had a blast. We got to enjoy some wine, paint a starry night and have a pretty cool art piece to show for it.
Not a bad way to spend $35 dollars and Saturday night.
For more information about the location and schedule of possible paintings, visit paintingwithatwist.com/studio/arlington.
Sara Pintilie is a distinguished writer, editor and photographer who calls Arlington home. In her column, she offers a millennial’s take on things local.
