You know how someone says you have green thumb when you garden well? Well, whatever the term they use for someone who has natural artistic ability would not be an adjective to describe my painting skills. However, even being artistically challenged, Erin from True Colors Art Studio, has a knack of not only helping you paint, but also feel like you could give Monet, Rembrandt or Picasso a run for their money. I should know, because she did that for me!
I had the opportunity to meet Erin when my sister, Randi, decided that for her birthday it would be fun for our mom, Dolores and me join her painting a fall scene on canvas at Erin’s new shop. True Colors Art Studio had only been officially open for two weeks when we went to paint. But you would never know it. Erin had converted a beauty salon into a wonderfully appointed art studio with two separate classrooms.
Erin set the tone of the day by putting on some music in the background. Letting us tour the facility and view the different works of art displayed around the studio. Some of the art included items from local artist that were for sale. Erin’s place is set up with a little stage that she anticipates having people come and play their guitars and sing while others are there painting or working on their art skills.
She also had her dog, Bella, there with her. I don’t know if she has her there all the time or just because she knows how much Randi likes dogs. Either way, Bella was a great addition to our class!
We had paid for a private lesson, so it was just Randi, Mom and me in front of easels on which blank canvases set. Erin showed us the picture we were going to be painting. It was a forest scene with leaves, trees and a beautiful sunset. As I looked at the example of the picture we would be painting I was a little intimidated. This wasn’t my first time painting, but I don’t think I’d ever painted anything as complex as what I was supposed to be doing with Erin as my guide.
Erin filled our plates with several colors of paint from black, brown and tan to red, yellow, orange and white. She had set up our area with a cup of water, three different sizes of brushes and paper towels to use to blot our brushes after we rinsed them between colors. And then before our eyes, she walked us through creating our own painting.
I won’t say it is exactly like paint by numbers that I used to do when I was a kid, but more like that guy on PBS who walks you through painting a landscape with “happy trees.” Erin’s encouragement and obvious artistic green thumb was able to get this stressed out woman (that would be me) to put paint on canvas and mimic her moves so that something that I would be willing to put on my wall began to form.
I’m probably my own worst critic, or so I have been told. But when I compared my painting to Randi’s and Mom’s — and even Erin’s (which was a mistake) I could see that I was holding my own. Yes, there were things that I wished I had done differently, but at least I could tell that what I had painted was similar to the example of what we were supposed to paint.
I won’t lie, mostly because my mom and Randi will probably read this post and call me out if I do, but the process wasn’t painless from my point of view. This has nothing to do with Erin’s instructions, but my own personality flaws. I did struggle with getting the colors “just right” or making my trees the right size or comparing my amateur painting to a professional like Erin. But with the encouragement and a few weeks, I can appreciate my painting — with all of its flaws.
My favorite part of our time was when we were finished (phew!) and we were talking with Erin about how True Colors Art Studio came about. She shared how she had told her parents when she was a child that she wanted to have an art studio when she grew up. Life has a funny way of working out, so although Erin did other things for employment previously, she and her husband had decided now was the time for her to follow her dream.
True Colors Art Studio not only has classes for painting on canvas, but you can also do acrylic painting, watercolor, pour painting, hydro-dipping, drawing and more. Erin posts the schedule of upcoming classes on the True Colors Art Studio Facebook page or you can sign up for her weekly newsletter with the schedule of events on her website.
If you are looking for a place to let your artistic side out without any judgment on how you are doing, then check out True Colors Art Studio. You may surprise yourself, just like I did.
