How do you like the finished result of a few hours fun at a recent Sip and Paint experience in Tobago? We don’t get the great choice of things to do as those who live in big island, Trinidad. So when something like this pops up on my phone, I pay attention.
I did once go to a Sip and Paint event in Boston many years ago. You don’t need any painting experience; the teacher leads you at each step, while you have a drink and possibly something to eat. I wasn’t pleased with my work at the time, and painted over it later. The problem was that the teacher told us what to do, one step at a time. I didn’t know what we were aiming for, and so ended up with a bridge that wasn’t properly connected to its supports.
Our small group of would-be artists gathered for the start time of 4:30pm on a Friday. We started a little late while waiting for the last person. This gave us the opportunity to chat with each other, and I quickly found a relationship in common with another attendee. Our teacher, Candice Rajkumar, set up a palette of several bright, acrylic colours for each of us, as well as paint brushes and a pencil. We were served a bottle of water with fennel fronds in it, and also a well-filled pack of healthy snacks and home-made herbal tea. All delicious!
We began by all of us putting some marks on everyone’s canvas (to share the love), which explains the strange lines in the background of my painting. Candice then instructed us to draw two vertical brown lines on our otherwise blank canvases. These became the edges of a tree, and resulted in quite different interpretations thereafter. We all had a ‘face’ inserted into our tree trunks.
My creation (with the teacher’s guidance) became “Autumn by the Beach” as I liked the bright colours in my leaves and then I painted waves in the background. I converted a weird blob, left by a fellow artist, into a rock. At the end, I “caught a vaps” and trailed wet paint through my tree and its branches to achieve a 3-D effect that was admired by the others.
We had to stop when it got too dark to see what we were doing. The time really flew by. It was a fun afternoon, and we got to keep our masterpieces. Here they all are together. I’ll display mine as a conversation piece!
The event took place at D Yard Food takeaway/diner, a Trini-Jamaican establishment, just off the Buccoo Road in Carnbee. This Paint and Sip class was actually put on by Ser Fresco Deli ITAL food Tobago who operate at that location from Tuesdays to Fridays. They serve ITAL food which consists of local and organically grown vegetables, gluten-free, lactose-free, non-GMO and low sugar. Sometimes fish is included. This is exactly how I prefer to eat, so I love their food. They advertise their varying menu every week via WhatsApp. You can contact them on +1 (868) 620-1276.
I hope you all have a wonderful Easter/Spiritual Shouter Baptist Day/Eid/Phagwa celebration. I love how we all celebrate each other’s faiths, regardless of our own beliefs.
What a lovely way to spend an hour.
My architect daughter says that everyone can paint – it’s just that some schools don’t teach art well. Similar to your comment.
It sounds like that teacher has a different Sip and Paint approach. I like the idea of everyone marking the other canvases as a show of love. Also, all of the trees look different … unlike the other sip and paints where everyone’s piece looks more or less the same, like a copy of the teacher’s painting. It suggests to me that Candice is more of a guide who is encouraging individuality, which is great.