Wine-and-paint events in Vancouver nurture imagination, ease stress

Works of the masters inspire us. They draw us in with their subject matter and technique, their use of light and brush strokes. They may even stir a desire to uncover our own creative side. But in a sped-up culture besieged with commitments, who has time to explore their inner Monet?

For that matter, how do we move beyond the intimidation of a blank canvas?

Aspiring painters have discovered that wine-and-paint events are not only a great way to nurture their imagination but relieve stress at the same time. One part social and one part educational, these classes have become popular from Napa Valley to North Carolina, and attendance continues to rise. In a relaxed environment, attendees are led through the process of completing a painting in about two hours.

Sharon Whyte opened Sharon’s Paint and Pour nearly two years ago and continues to be excited by the progress of each class.

“The first comment I usually hear from people is a lot of people will be a little intimated and say, ‘I can’t even draw a stick figure,’ and I say, ‘It’s a good thing we’re not drawing a stick figure.’ My favorite comment is, after we get into it a little bit, people will say, ‘Gosh, I didn’t think I could do this,’ ” Whyte said.

Not all wine and painting classes are led by a trained artist, but Whyte’s credentials are impressive. She graduated from the University of Kansas with bachelor of fine arts and master of arts degrees and earned her master of fine arts from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She teaches part-time at Clark College and, in her 36 years as an art instructor, she’s taught throughout the U.S. and at an international school in Florence, Italy. She teaches a beginner’s class and an open-studio class out of her home, as well.

Events are held at different locations throughout Clark County, including popular restaurants, bars and wineries. Participants just show up and all the equipment is provided — including colorful aprons, an easel, canvas, acrylic paints, brushes, lots of paper towels and the first glass of wine. Whyte has recently increased the cost of her classes from $40 to $45 to offer a true all-inclusive experience.

“Besides a fun paint and pour, we are now including local cuisine made by our fabulous local chefs, as well as unique bar favorites, while we paint,” Whyte said. “For instance, we sampled LUXE’s famous Pear Cosmos and Blood Orange Whiskey Sours for Starry Nights (a painting) and chef made tomato basil soup cups with grilled cheese fingers and also their famous chicken and waffle sammies.”

As her following has grown, the concept for her classes has evolved. Initially, it was Whyte’s desire to share the joy of art with groups of 16 to 20 and give a little love to local businesses on slower nights. With the bar continuing to be set higher by area chefs, Whyte began to see the potential for showcasing their talents and supporting the locavore movement. She hears regularly from her customers that they’ve become more acquainted with all that Clark County has to offer by attending her classes. From Village Vineyard to Mill Creek Pub and Tommy O’s to Main Event East, Whyte has established wonderful relationships right along with her students.

A couple of other options:

• Sip & Paint: Owner and instructor Bonnie Junell is another trained artist who began wine and paint events at Artists Gallery Sunriver in Oregon back in March 2012. A retired Nordstrom executive who attended commercial art school straight out of high school, Junell leads intimate classes of six to 10 at Uptown Vancouver’s Latte da Coffee House and Wine Bar once a month in addition to her Sunriver classes. Her own works hang at The Studio Gallery in Grayton Beach, Fla., as well as Sunriver. Her use of water-soluble oils in her classes sets her apart and her robust repeat business (about 50 percent) proves that her one-on-one teaching style is appreciated.

“Painting can be very social, and it’s a great outlet for people who are stressed out,” Junell said. “I have people who drive from Portland. They really see it as a great outlet for their busy schedule.”

• Wine & Canvas: Drawing upon her experience as an art history major at DePaul University in Chicago, Quinn Keller established Wine & Canvas in September 2013. Along with her partner, Kyle Krueger, they schedule events all over the Portland metro area, as well as three locations in Vancouver — La Costa, Cellar 55 Tasting Room and Who Song & Larry’s. You’ll still find Keller and Krueger instructing classes, but they also have a pool of talented artists they draw from to lead the groups, which range from 20 to 45 people depending on the size of the venue. While food and drink are not supplied in the cost of a class, all supplies and instruction to create an original piece of art are.

Speaking on customer reaction to her classes, Keller said “This one woman came up to me a few months ago and said, ‘Thank you for sharing your gift,’ and I’d never thought of it that way. I felt very moved.”

For more information on Sharon’s Paint and Pour, go to www.sharonwhytedotnet.wordpress.com; Sip & Paint, go to www.bonniejunellartist.com; Wine & Canvas, go to wineandcanvas.com.