Spoiler Alert: This post has nothing to do with knitting.
A few nights ago a group of four of us joined about twenty other budding artists at Posh Splat, Boulder’s local paint and wine studio.
Back in my formative school years, I took a lot of art classes and briefly considered it as a vocation. Forty-some years later, my youthful dreams have yet to be realized. So, as you might imagine, I was delighted for the opportunity to try my hand at painting.
At Posh Splat, each “artist” is given a blank 16″ x 20″ (40.5 x 51 cm) canvas, three paintbrushes, and a squirt each of seven colors (blue, red, yellow, green, brown, black, and white). An instructor leads the class in choosing the right brushes, mixing the appropriate colors, and making the correct brush strokes, all while giving encouragement (and serving wine to help the creative juices flow).
The painting of the night was Vincent Van Gogh’s 1888 painting Cafe Terrace At Night (shown at left below). Instead of following the actual masterpiece (which would have been paralyzingly intimidating), we followed a much simplified version with fewer buildings and without the human forms (that’s my attempt on the right).
Needless to say, I think I was wise to stick to my knitting!
I just love your painting, Ann. Look at those yummy colors – I especially like the cobblestones!
I LOVE your painting! The colours are amazing. You give me courage to (finally!) paint something myself. I’m thinking of having a nice glass of wine and digging out my (acrylic) paint set! So exciting. I think I will also paint the Van Gogh, “Cafe Terrace at Night”. Wish me luck!!!
btw, because of your wonderful book, “Getting Started Knitting Socks” (I’m going from memory, I hope I got the title right). I knit a few pair and was thrilled to pieces, turning the heel! Now I get it! Thank you Ann.
It’s great to see people of all ages get the chance to tap into their creativity and explore their artistic side through events like Posh Splat. Drawing can be a therapeutic and rewarding hobby, and it’s never too late to pick up a brush and start creating. Reading about the author’s enthusiasm for this experience is inspiring and I hope it encourages more people to try their hand at painting. And for those who want to expand their creativity, I recommend this wall painting company to have more time for creativity.