Winning at Twitter and Painting a Peacock

This morning when I woke up I noticed a few missed calls and text messages. I immediately thought “Who on earth needs me before 7:30  a.m.? That is not cool.” To my surprise, they were informing me that they just heard my twitter and blog info on the radio. I had no idea, but The Modern Connection, a social media firm, had chosen the “Top Twitter Stars in Charleston” and announced them on The Bridge at 105.5.

Remember my mention of my friend Holly on Tuesday’s post? She was voted a Top Twitter Star too!

That definitely made my day!

Thursday night, Boding and I met my friends Rachel and Hannah for a painting lesson at Fear No Easel in Mount Pleasant. Many of the locations around here feature a calendar mostly full of Southern or beachy-themed paintings – definitely not what I want in my house. When we noticed a bright, beautiful peacock painting, we all jumped on the opportunity.

Fear No Easel allows you to bring your own wine, or purchase some from them, so that you can let your creativity flow while you paint. This might work for some people, but it just makes me have a shaky hand. Being one of the least artistic people I know, this wasn't going to work so I sipped my wine sloooowly.

Hi Boding!

An instructor stood at the front of the class with a microphone and a camera hooked up to a display that zoomed in on her easel. She walked us through the entire painting, showing us how to make new colors and use different techniques. The only thing that bothered me is that she went so fast, and when someone asked her to slow down or repeat something, she appeared irritated. On a positive note, the owner and other staff members were very friendly and walked around refilling our paint and offering compliments and tips.

At first I thought my painting looked awful. Boding kept making fun of me because I looked so intense. This is definitely the most serious face I have ever made.

And back to normal Christina:

Eventually, all our brushstrokes came together into beautiful artwork. It’s pretty neat how each of us were painting the same thing, yet had such different outcomes. Here are Hannah and Rachel with their finished products:

The painting I did last year has been sitting in my closet ever since I took it home. it doesn’t match anything! So I’m happy to report that I have already found a place for my peacock – right on the wall behind my bed. Now let’s see how long it takes me to actually hang it…

Are you artistic? How so?

Have you been to a painting or other art class? Would you go back?

Bottles ‘n Brushes

Last night I finally redeemed my Groupon for Bottles ‘n Brushes, a place where you can learn how to paint while you get a buzz. The concept is simple: bring your own wine, or purchase some there, and the teachers will show you how to do a painting of your choice. The monthly calendars are put up a couple weeks in advance, so you can choose what you’d like to paint.

Diana and I decided that this would be a great Pre-Valentine’s date for us single girls. I picked us up a bottle of that cheapo Whole Foods wine (that is actually good and gets the job done) and we set out to be artistas. This is the painting we chose: Kinda Valentine’s Day-ish, no? I absolutely love this painting – love the keys, heart, and colors. It’s so simple but says so much. Don’t ask me what it all means though.

When you get there, everything is already set up for you: an easel with a canvas, a pencil, ruler, cup of water, napkins, paint, and paint brushes in 3 sizes. The first step is to paint the background color. You don’t have to do the exact same colors as the original painting; you can go darker, lighter, or do an entirely different color.Once you have finished, they blow-dry the paint so you can start sketching the rest of the design. This was the longest and most difficult part. I tried to be a perfectionist, but my drawings always come out so bubbly and childish. Much like my personality…After sketching, you just paint right over the pencil marks. The teachers guide you through the whole process and are available to ask questions, refill water cups and paint. They are so sweet and friendly! Here is my finished piece at my work area. Here is Diana. She was sitting across from me the entire time so I didn’t see her finished project until the end.Here is my very messy area. I used an obnoxious amount of plates trying to get my colors right. Clearly I was going for Tiffany blue.Diana’s masterpiece!And here is my masterpiece and our empty bottle of wine. Other people’s artwork is on display as well:

I highly recommend taking a painting class. Classes are 2-3 hours long but it goes by so fast and at the end you have something of your very own to hang in your living room.

Do you purchase Groupons or other daily specials? The 2-hour painting classes normally cost $35, but with my groupon, I only paid $15. That is a steal. In the past, I have also purchased a special for a Barnes & Noble gift certificate and another for Oil & Vinegar, a gourmet food store.

Do you paint? Or have you ever done a painting class like this? This was my first time painting anything and I’m so pleased!

What are your weekend plans? Today I am meeting my bestie T.J. for lunch at a new spot (TBD). Tomorrow is MUSC 80s prom, so get ready for some fantastic pictures. Sunday I am celebrating Nikki’s 28th birthday. The rest of the weekend shall be filled with exercise, more fun food, and hopefully hanging out with my little brother.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!