Art, Wine, Friends, & Food! Van Gogh or Van No? That is the Question!

I may not have a future career in the art field as my painting skills are more on the Van NO side, but last night sure was fun! We went out to dinner with Darcie and Brian, who live in Nebraska. After dinner, we headed over to the Art of Merlot in Old Town, Scottsdale for a night full of wine, painting, and puerility.

Doing the same thing all the time gets flat and boring fast. Not every night you get to drink wine, paint, and eat cheese and crackers like a boss. I prefer this over the usual bar hopping ritual. It’s a great way to socialize and relax at the same time. You don’t have to scream at the top of your lungs so the other person can hear you. This class was how I’d like to spend every Friday night!

Van Gogh’s Over the Rhone was last night’s theme. The class had to follow the instructor as she replicated the painting. It was neat to watch everyone put their own spin and creative side into their painting.

Our first task was to pour ourselves a glass of wine, second was to trace some lines onto the canvas and third to get to painting!

My favorite painter of the night? Jeremy. His humor never seemed to fail anyone. And as the wine started to take over, his art started to spread.

It spread like wildfire. I guess you don’t have to buy a phone cover when you’re a talented brush stroker.

Painting is a lot harder than it looks. I usually look at art and go “oh I could do that” but saying it is a lot easier than actually doing it.

I was impressed with Jeremy’s painting. He usually draws stick figures and mohawks, but I think he has an artistic side. It really shined through his painting.

We were advised to keep stepping back to observe our paintings because the blur becomes more visible from a distance.

Unfortunately stepping back made me feel discouraged because an art major with a jealous-worthy talent sat in front of me. I’m just kidding (kinda) Her painting as phenomenal. I would actually buy her work.

I knew three hours of painting would work up and appetite, so I made a platter with snacks that pair well with wine.

After working on the solid colors, we were instructed to start adding the detail. We all got carried away with stroking our boards with the brush. The instructor certainly knew how to boost my confidence. She kept telling me how she just loved my art. I knew she was laughing inside, but she made me feel like a born artist.

Finally everything started to come together. Everyone’s painting had their own greatness. It was impossible to name one painting I didn’t like. Another plus about this class is their was zero clean up! I can live with that.

This is such a great idea if you are looking for a fun date or night out with your girlfriends. I think you could also re create this in your own home if you don’t have anything like this in your area!

Just in case you are wondering. I tried out Skinny Girl California White wine. I’m a white wine drinker and Jeremy, a Merlot. The wine was good and not overly sweet.

Even though my painting could pass as a Kindergartner’s, I had so much fun! Plus wearing that awesome apron made me feel like a real artist. If you’ve never done anything like this, I highly recommend it. This made me want to open my own wine and art studio. The class was so diverse and everyone was a blast.

I know you guys are super creative and smart enough to make your own platter. You don’t need a mediocre to show you how! So I’ll save the large “how to” post and just give you a quick list of the ingredients I used.

I bought a veggie tray, but left it in the hotel. I figured we would have enough without it, especially if we were going out to dinner first. I just bought mixed nuts, dark chocolate espresso beans, Hoffman’s pepper jack cheese, Gouda, Dofino creamy Havarti, Dofino Gouda, Boar’s Head spicy three cheese, strawberries, and a box of assorted crackers. I bought all of these at the local grocery store.

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