The Things We Did: Vin Gogh - Paint and Sip Studio

Now we all know that it's always fun to have a wine night with a couple friends every once in awhile. To mix things up a bit we decided to spend a Friday night at Vin Gogh - sipping some wine and using our creative juices to paint a picture. 

Vin Gogh is Calgary's newest and only paint and wine studio. Located on Macleod trail by Chinook Mall (7004 Macleod Trail, Calgary, AB T2H 0L3 to be exact), this studio has been open for just under three months now. The concept is a 2 hour instructor led session that runs from 7-9pm. All painting supplies including brushes, acrylic paints, an apron and the canvas are provided to you. In the 2 hours the instructor takes you from a blank canvas to a masterpiece making it easy for those who have never picked up a paintbrush before!

We booked our painting session off of the website (http://www.vingogh.ca) a week in advance. The studio is open Tuesday to Saturday for the general public unless a private event has been booked. A calendar on the website shows which paintings will be featured on the night that you choose to attend.  A wide variety of paintings are available including city and nature landscapes, animals, abstract and contemporary art, and even some that are sports themed. Seasonal paintings are also available around Halloween, Christmas, New Years and Valentine's Day just to name a few. The total cost of a session is $57.75 which includes the painting supplies and a glass of wine.

We decided that this photo was most appealing since we do love our wine...

This is the painting we were going to paint! We selected
this one cause yes, we love wine, but also because of the
variety of colours used and the additional splatter effect
over the wine bottles. Who doesn't love throwing
paint on a canvas and calling it art?!
(Photo credit: Vin Gogh Instagram - @vingoghyyc)

We reached the paint studio approximately 20 minutes before our session started. At first glance we found the studio to be well lit and overall quite welcoming. The painting area is on the left and on the right there are a few high tables where you can enjoy some wine and appetizers prior to the session. We went and checked in with the owner, Brenda Mahoney, and chose our glass of wine. Brenda explained that they pre-determine a seating plan to make sure all of your friends get to sit at a table together. How great is that! 

This is the inside of the studio we saw when we walked in.
The stations are all set up for you with the paints and brushes
ready to go. Typically each table can host 6 painters, but
since our session had 16 people, we were in groups of 4.

On the right side of the studio there are tables for guests
to enjoy their wine and appetizers. It's nice that the studio
is open earlier so people can relax, unwind and socialize
before getting their hands dirty!

We were not hungry at the time so unfortunately we did not try the appetizers. From what we saw though it looks as though they have a nice light menu that included flatbreads, chicken skewers, and hummus and pita. For those that are not satisfied with a single glass of wine you can purchase additional glasses for $9 or a bottle for $35. The drinks are not limited to wine, as you can also select beer or a vodka cooler. We sat at a table enjoying our wine and admiring the walls that feature paintings from previous nights. The session began promptly at 7:00pm. 

This is the selection of wine available. There are 3 red wines and
3 white wines, and since neither of us have an acquired taste for red,
we chose a semi-sweet white wine! It was absolutely delicious :)

There was one instructor and approximately 16 people in our session. The instructor took us through step by step on how to paint the picture. We found that the 2 hours was sufficient and there was plenty of time to socialize in between. We were encouraged to put our own unique spin on the painting which took all the pressure off of having to exactly replicate the instructors painting. The atmosphere was nice and relaxed and it was great looking at how each individuals painting turned out. Overall we found it to be an enjoyable evening that put a nice spin on a typical wine night. If you are looking for an evening out with your significant other, a group of friends or even co-workers we definitely recommend Vin Gogh.

A glass of wine and 2 hours of painting later...
these are our masterpieces! We are clearly
so thrilled about how they turned out.

This is our group at the end of the session. It's awesome
to see all the paintings and how people have put their
own personality and creativity into the painting!
Again, photo credit goes to @vingoghyyc.

Although Vin Gogh is the only dedicated paint and wine studio in Calgary we have also attended Paint Nite. Paint Nite has a very similar concept to Vin Gogh with an instructor led painting session. Instead of a stand alone location however it is held at different pubs and bars throughout the city. Although the idea is the same, not every pub in the city is lit and set-up adequately for painting. Also since the entire bar is not dedicated to Paint Nite, other areas and people can detract from the overall experience. We definitely enjoyed our evening at Vin Gogh more but would love to hear your thoughts!