(how many of you picked up on the Strongbad reference? Anyone? Anyone?)

I have never been a particularly good artist. I enjoyed the art class I took in high school – we explored pretty much every medium, from drawing to oil painting to sculpting and printmaking. My stuff was okay, but I certainly wasn’t going to be displaying my works in a gallery anytime soon!

My relationship with art is very similar to my relationship with crafting, probably because these two are cousins. I get wild ideas about painting a scene or sketching little works in a notebook. But the outcome is never how I picture it in my head. And, yet again, my husband has a knack for art – sketching out little logos for the apps he develops or little characters on scraps of paper around the house.

But when some friends told me about an art studio that’s as much about painting as it is about a fun night out, I knew I wanted to check it out! If you’re in the Cincinnati, OH area, you need to check out Cheers to Art! You can sip your adult beverage of choice, groove to the music and hang out with your friends, all while painting a work of art! The best part is that the instructor gives you step-by-step instructions, so you’re not left to fend for yourself if you feel less-than-sure of your skills.

My friends and I planned a Girl’s Night Out to paint the “Paris Stamp.” We started off by layering in the background colors. First yellow, then red, then green.

Then we added some brushstrokes of white and the black scalloped edge to give it a “stampy” feel:

Then came the hard part – the lettering and the Eiffel Tower! I was too focused on keeping a steady hand to snag some in-progress pictures, but here’s me with the finished product!

I’m not sure where I’m going to hang it yet. None of the colors match anything in our home at the moment (I would have chosen other paint colors if that option had been available). So, I just stuck it in between the double sinks in our spare bathroom to add a splash of color!

Happy Painting!