As an early Galentine’s celebration, me and one of my best friends Brianna and I went to do a wine & design to commemorate the occasion. I posted about our fun experience and final product on my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!!) just last week as apart of my 14 Days of Pink fashion challenge. I had a BLAST getting to create a painting of my own from scratch with the help of a painter guide, catch up with Brianna, and enjoy some refreshments at none other than Muse Paintbar – a premier wine and design bar in the Washington, DC area.
I have ALWAYS been a sucker for a Wine & Design type of experience! A fun fact about me is that I planned a Cupcakes and Canvases wine and design-like experience when I was in college on my then-dry college campus my Freshmen year of college. It was *actually* the first-ever college event that I planned. I have many many many fond memories of my Cupcakes & Canvases event, especially the painting part of it and the openness for pure creativity, so I *HAD* to take on the opportunity to do another wine & design event when Brianna suggested it!
About Muse Paintbar: Muse Paintbar strived to become the place to go for painting and sipping upon opening their first location back in 2012. There is an open bar at EVERY studio for you to enjoy drinks and food as you paint. One thing that I LOVE about Muse Paintbar is that it is a female-led business that currently employs over 300 creative-minded individuals. A quote that I just adore from their website is: “while we’re passionate about bringing art to our communities, we don’t take ourselves too seriously around here. No matter if you’re hanging with us virtually, or in our studio, we will be there for you every step of the way.” Currently, Muse Paintbar has public classes on their website that people can sign up for with others in their local communities along with the option to host a private event/party there, too. In 2020, Muse Paintbar launched virtual painting classes to generate more access to all, especially with COVID-19. And, Muse Paintbar invites their guests to get creative and unplug from their day-to-day lives. Also, if you decide to frequent Muse Paintbar, you can sign up for their Rewards Program to earn points. Read more on their website here: https://www.musepaintbar.com/
Muse Paintbar Locations: Currently, Muse Paintbar is primarily located along the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. They have locations across Virginia, the National Capital Region/Washington, DC area (there are around 5 near me!!), New York, and New England. If you don’t see a location in your city, then look no further than their virtual classes where painting supplies get sent to your house your scheduled painting class. See ALL locations here: https://www.musepaintbar.com/locations/
As for planning our Paint & Sip experience, Brianna and I headed to the Muse Paintbar website to pick out a design. On the site, you can select the Studio of your choosing and pick a design that you want to paint given a date and time that works for you and your crew. Since we are Washington, DC area locals who are both SUPER girly, we picked the cherry blossom trees along a foggy scenery. It was such a girly and perfect addition for both of our apartments, too! When you register for your Paint & Sip Experience, you pay upfront per person and can specify your group of people that you’re attending with to help the studio staff out and others that may register at different times than you in your crew. Brianna had been to Muse Paintbar before and spoke VERY highly of her experience, so I knew I was in for a treat!
When Brianna and I arrived to our local Muse Paintbar studio, we were greeted by one of the staff members who checked us in and sat down in our pre-assigned seats. Each group had a section of their own upon checking in (this is something that you can specify via your group members when you register for your event!). We, then, grabbed some refreshments as we got there a bit early – all Muse Paintbars open to the public pre-events about 30 minutes beforehand! – and grabbed our aprons and got ready to paint. The studio had paintings done by the studio guides – most of whom are artists themselves – and GREAT music playing. A fun fact about me is that I am a sucker for art, specifically paintings, so it was fun for me to admire all of the artists’ creations!! I LOVED the music and the atmosphere, as the entire studio was simply good vibes ALLLL around.
As for the painting part of it, I found it to be fun and open to interpretation for each person who was there. I LOVED how interactive the experience was and fun our studio guide was. I was able to be creative and have fun in my own way. At the same time, I really enjoyed being guided through the process by someone who has an artistic background because, well, I lack artistic ability (LOL!). My studio guide Taylor actually mentioned that she has her own shop, too, where she sells her artwork! My favorite part of the whole painting experience was getting to add the petals to my cherry blossom trees, as it was ALL THINGS PINK.
I am SO excited as I am adding some more wall art to my walls to add my brand-new canvas to my wall. Not only does this canvas take a pretty place on my apartment walls, but it also commemorates a fun night with a great friend and great vibes all around. In the future, I definitely would love to attend another event and perhaps even on a solo date, too!
XOXO – Katie <3