Lively retro tunes and oodles of red wine and suds were the ticket to morph a chilly Tuesday evening into a toasty artsy fest. Though the forecast called for cloudy weather, the bright blue skies sketched by the sold-out assemblage for Painting in the Park at Discovery Green could have fooled onlookers into believing it was a delightful midsummer's day.
The muse was Pixie Petals, an acrylic-on-canvas painting by Pinot's Palette artist Ashley Gardner. Composed of a swirly backdrop with vibrant poppies and happy creatures, the image was inspired by the energy of the downtown garden.
"It was a lovely event to meet nice people, " Jackie Lambert said. "Also a great way to relieve stress. Painting will be my new therapy."
Aprons were laid out atop covered tables set up behind The Grove. Using a step-by-step guide with coaching and encouragement by Pinot's artists, 100 young professionals and friends unleashed their inner Picasso and crafted 8- by 8-inch reproductions with plenty of artistic license.
The second installment of the artful gathering brought out mother and daughter Jackie and Nina Lambert, who learned about the affair from a Facebook post.
"It was a lovely event to meet nice people, " Jackie Lambert said. "Also a great way to relieve stress. Painting will be my new therapy."
Sisters Regina and Margot Ramirez vowed to return alongside friends Ben Garcia and Miguel Retana, who was a spectator but pledged to join in next time. A group of Four Seasons' employees planned the outing as an after-work social. They weren't shy to knock off a few Stella Artois and glasses of Messina Hof wine. Spinning 45s vinyl records was DJ Sun.
Rumor has it that event sponsors CultureMap, Pinot's Palette and Discovery Green are planning a future event designed to break the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people painting simultaneously.
In the crowd were Taylor Huey, Jeremy Tatum, Allison Harter, Mital Brahmbhatt, Dawn Barnard, Jalane Theis, Maja Gil, Gasper Gonzalez, Diane Freeman, Elysia Sutherland, Deonte Scott, Jerri McInnes, Gina Young and Claudia Quintanilla.
