Into The Woods - The Process

While returning back from lunch with a colleague one day, I saw this place on the 82nd street called « Wine & Canvas ». My friend told me that this place features a work of art every day and an artist would walk the participants through the process of creating it. It sounded interesting and I had to do it. I quickly checked the website and signed in for one of the days (12-Feb) that I thought had a painting of my choice. They have a schedule with the picture of the painting for that day so you could select and book a seat for $ 35. I am told that they are normally always full so it is advisable to book well in advance. The event starts at 6pm and goes on for 3 hours by end of which you would have completed a beautiful piece of art. There are branches of this in several other cities around the US. You could also find similar programs run by other groups. 

I was there early and was all excited to see the arrangements. I made myself comfortable on a chair in front of an easel, got myself a glass of wine and talked to my neighbours for a while before the event started.

The artist began painting and we had to follow; not necessarily do the same. You could get creative and try your own colors or style. The media is acrylic on canvas. I enjoyed this whole process and took some deviation from the instruction and added some texture and colours of my own. It was a good session with everyone talking to each other, encouraging  one another and having a lot of fun. I truly appreciate the way Americans enjoy the simplest of simplest thing. They make me feel comfortable in this country and thats perhaps why my neighbour guessed that I had been here before as to her, I seemed extremely comfortable here. 

I tried my signature colour transition technique on the door.  I added more yellow to the leaves and provide strokes to the tree which was a deviation from the original again. As usual I struggled to stop the finishing. There always seemed something or the other to finish and it never seems done. 

The artist walked by me and observed the painting for a while and told - "One can just walk through this painting." "It is beautiful",  she added. I was pleased with my own work. This was by far the fastest painting of this size I had done. I decided to name this painting « Walk through »

I felt good by the end of this day. Painting had completely seized me and my thoughts for these three hours and I realised that true passion could take you very easily to the zero state. I was also happy about this country that has so much to offer always. Every time I visit, the more I love this country.