When caught up in the challenge of the work-a-day life, it can be difficult to schedule times to engage in creativity, a gift everyone shares, whether they remember it or not. Once engaged, the creative process doesn’t just help us express ourselves; it helps us relax.
Wine and Design in Orcutt is a business that started with the goal of combining two things people enjoy doing to relax and have fun: drinking a tall, frosty beer or glass of wine and creating art. The business is host to regular painting classes in the evening for adults who want to enjoy educational and fun instruction while sampling local beer and wine, owner Lauren Lowe explained.
“I have three artists who work for me, and they are all very talented,” Lowe said. “They lead the class through the process of painting, and people who come in can enjoy some beer or wine, and we have water for free.”
The studio and wine and beer bar has the look of a true art studio. Paintings deck the walls, representing all kinds of styles and subjects, from landscapes to colorful still life. Wine and Design posts the paintings that are to be taught on its website, so customers can choose from a variety of paintings before signing up.
“The classes are for the novice up to someone that is more skilled or has had more time painting,” Lowe said. “Some of the paintings are more simple, some are more challenging and might take up to three hours.”
When customers arrive at Wine and Design, they are met with all of the supplies they need: apron, brushes, paints, easel, canvas, and the rest. Lowe is dedicated to supplying local wines and beer. She stocks Core Wine Company and Paso Robles wines and Firestone’s 805. The relaxed atmosphere and drinks help painters unwind.
“I think that it gets the creative juices flowing a little bit; it loosens people up,” she said. “I think it can be intimidating sometimes to look at a blank canvas, especially as a beginner. We want this to be a relaxing environment.”
Wine and Design is a franchise, of which Lowe’s is the first in California. The model, which started in North Carolina, usually involves a BYOB aspect for the wine and beer, but that’s prohibited in California. That’s why she opened the wine and beer bar in her store. However, the store isn’t just for adults.
“Our adult studio is 21 and over because we have the ABC license,” she said. “So we had to create a separate studio for our kids; right next door is where we have kids’ birthday parties, [and] we did a spring break camp, and during the summer we will have a camp as well.”
The attached-but-separate kids’ room is fully prepared for excited and creative kids. All of the walls are painted with chalkboard paint so youngsters can draw on the surfaces to their hearts’ content.
“They don’t have the limitations that we do as adults when creating a painting,” Lowe said. “It’s more fun for me with the kids; they are excited, they are ready to do it, and they aren’t comparing themselves to the other kids.”
The kids’ classes happen during the early afternoon followed by the adult classes in the evening. Everyone enjoys free water, and customers are also welcome to bring their own food.
“We don’t do food but customers are welcome to bring in snacks or dinner or soft drinks,” she said. “We’ve had people call and get pizza delivered.”
Lowe always aims to keep her business welcoming and sets up measures to make sure people are comfortable with something as daunting as creating a painting.
“We definitely teach the brush strokes and how to look at what you are doing and not judge or compare yourself to what other people are doing,” she said. “We really try to focus people on what they are doing and keep them focused on what they see.”
The prepared canvases for the painting classes also come with a light pencil outline of what the basic idea of the painting will be, acting as a simple guide for painters. Wine and Design also offers special couples events and an “open studio” event each month, and even gets involved in local fundraisers.
“We are doing a fundraiser event where we are teaming up with the Santa Barbara Animal Care Foundation to help fund their medical program,” Lowe said. “We are doing a Paint Your Pet event where they will bring in pictures of the animals they are trying to adopt, and hopefully those paintings will go to the person [who adopts the pet].
“People don’t have to paint the animals from the program, they can paint their pets, too,” she added, “but 50 percent of the proceeds are going toward the program.”
Wine and Design in Orcutt is preparing for a summer full of activities for adults and kids. Information about upcoming classes is available at the Wine and Design website, wineanddesignus.com/location/orcutt-ca/home.
Arts Editor Joe Payne thinks wine and paint is a perfect pairing. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 5-12, 2014.
