Review: Ladies Paint Night

As an individual who is prone to stay home, I frequently look for opportunities to push myself to go out and enjoy life. These efforts  are often impeded by the fact that my social circle is divided into two factions:

  1. Those who are so spent by their day-to-day lives that they lack the energy and desire to do anything other than collapse into bed every night;
  2. Those whose idea of a good time revolves around clubs and bars.

Now, even when in I was in my twenties club/bar hopping was not high on my list of things to do! When I have attempted to give the night scene another try, I end up regretting the decision.

Nightlife

After hours spent coordinating my makeup, outfit and accessories I enter the venue, with the hope my night will go like this:

But the reality ends up being closer to this:

Once you add in the fact that I live in a small city with limited options for Caribbean and African music(my genres of choice for dancing), the scene becomes even more dismal. Spending and evening with cliques of people I know too well, and who continue to play musical beds? Thanks but no thanks!

So when I saw an ad online for a Ladies Paint Night in February by Simply Kay’s Portrait’s, my interest was piqued. The idea of sipping cocktails in an intimate setting while channeling my inner artist was pure bliss to me. My inner critic appeared as well, with a list of reasons why I shouldn’t go:

YOU, attend a PAINT NIGHT? You are not an artist! You can barely draw a face well; why go there and embarrass yourself with your lack of artistic talent/skill? Plus you won’t know anyone there! Who goes to an event alone; this is a horrible idea!

The negative words of my inner critic only inflamed my desire to go. If nothing else, I had to silence my doubts and challenge myself to go. Excited and determined, I shared the event with friends and invited them. Much to my chagrin, when I went to purchase a ticket I discovered  it was already sold out! I chided myself for not getting my ticket quickly and subscribed to the artists’ page.

When I learned that the artist would be hosting another Ladies Paint Night in early March, I was determined not to miss the opportunity this time around! I purchased my ticket within an hour for them going on sale. Again I invited friends, hoping we could come together, but it was not to be. Undaunted, I looked to March 5th with a sense of exhilaration.

On the appointed evening I arrived at the location thirty minutes early, greeted by the jovial faces of the other attendees. The atmosphere was utterly devoid of the awkwardness that can ensue when strangers meet! The vibe among us was set, and the rest of the night was filled with camaraderie and laughter. The gentle ribbing between our instructor Kaysse Moynihan and our host, her twin sister Kayla, was cute! In their banter I saw a reflection of my relationship with my siblings; it made me smile.

Me shortly after getting my smock on. Let’s GO!

Kaysse was quite graceful as she walked us through our portraits. She didn’t make anyone feel low for making an error or asking questions. Her careful guidance and serene disposition went a long way towards eliminating my worry of messing up.

My portrait in progress. I did wish I'd rounded out her jawline a bit more!
My portrait in progress. I did wish I’d rounded out her jawline a bit more!

For the next two hours, we worked diligently at reproducing one of Kaysse’s portraits while finding ways to put our unique touch on the canvas as well. By the time we began to wrap up our painting around 9 pm, I was elated! Looking at my finished painting, I decided she needed something else: eye shadow! As we were about to take a group picture, I feverishly stroked the canvas with yellow acrylic paint to get the effect I wanted. I then joined the rest of the ladies in the lobby for a group photo.

The finished work. As you can see from my smile I was genuinely happy.
The finished work. As you can see from my smile I was genuinely happy.

For me, Ladies Paint Night was an elegant affair and one which I am likely to repeat. At $35 a ticket the cost was quite reasonable to me, as it includes hors de oeuvres, drinks and all art supplies. If you live in the Greater Seattle area and are searching for a new activity, I highly recommend checking out Simply Kay’s.

Simply Kay’s website

Simply Kay’s Portraits page on Facebook