On my birthday bucket list is the dare to PAINT, and that's just what I did last night!


You see, I always loved art when I was younger, and I would draw and paint right through my senior year in high school.  Then... nothin'.  Somehow life took over, and my sketchbook ended up in a cabinet in my bedroom in my parents' house.  Nowadays, whenever I do find myself doing something artsy or involving paint of some kind (like a paint-your-own pottery type place), I get such a creativity high that I'm sad when it ends and yearn for more!

So that's how "paint" ended up on my list, and a no-hassle way to dip my toe back in was by taking a class.

My friend Becky and I went to Painting Lounge in Brooklyn (there's also a Manhattan lounge--which is BYOB), where we were set up with easels, canvases, paint, brushes, and a model to follow.  The relaxed, funny instructor walked us through the steps to create "A Walk In The Rain".

The small studio had a very laid back atmosphere (that I likely took too seriously; I was, of course, the last one to finish) that caters to all artistic abilities.  The instructor was also so flexible and encouraged us to be creative or original as we felt we needed to be.  ("You want a purple sky?  Excellent.  Need the leaves to match your sofa?  Go for it.")

It was so much fun mixing colors, playing with brush technique, and finally stepping back from the canvas to take a look at the finished product.



What better way to spend a Sunday night?  It was a fun evening with just enough learning of technique, but basic enough that we all could do it and have a good time.  I definitely want to go back to make another, or maybe even whip out my own my mom's old paints and get crafty.