By Brittney Rigby, Managing Editor
It was a cold Sunday afternoon in Surry Hills when we made our way into Cork & Chroma’s Holt Street studio, ready for an afternoon of tipsy creativity. Wine + painting = a yes from me.
The “paint and sip” studio offers three-hour painting classes, BYO your favourite bottle – or goon bag at your own (social) risk – of wine. Everything else is sorted: easel, canvas, paint, brushes, apron, glasses, and even a bottle opener and ice bucket.
We were booked in for a step-by-step lesson on a more colourful, contemporary version of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”, (although you’re most welcome to give the middle finger to the lesson and paint whatever the hell you want), and I was sceptical my HSC art skills were still up to scratch.
But our resident artist made things very easy, chatting us through each step and encouraging us to change up the colour scheme or placement or shapes or anything we wanted. There were easy to follow instructions, paint (and sav blanc) top ups and a killer playlist – *insert an infamous Mark Holden touchdown*.
It was really interesting to see everyone’s final product, and we all left with our masterpieces in tow and our bellies full of liquor.
Cork and Chroma fulfilled the dream I never knew I had of becoming a day-drinking Picasso. And I’m not mad about it. Not one little bit.