Giovann’s quest for mind cultivation: painting and pinot offer alternative to night on the town

I raised my glass of wine in the air and repeated after the painting instructor, “I am an artist. I am beautiful!”

I signed up for a painting class at Pinot’s Palette.

I walked in lacking confidence. I have always been terrible at drawing and painting. My illustrations of people look like the drawing of a five-year-old. I draw sticks for arms and legs, circles for heads, squares for the male body, and triangles for the female body.

I was very uneasy at the thought of painting, but with the instructor’s words of encouragement, I gained assurance. I dipped my paintbrush in the color palette, and away I painted!

Pinot’s Palette (previously known as Pinot and Picasso) started with one location in the Montrose area of Houston in 2009. Since then, they have expanded coast to coast and now operate six locations in Houston.

Pinot’s Palette is no ordinary painting class. Participants are encouraged to bring along wine and snacks. Their goal is teach painting while students enjoy a good time.

According to their website, the company’s mission “is to bring fine art to the masses in a fun way, and to teach our painters the magic of creating their own masterpieces! So come paint. Drink. Have Fun.”

I was able to convince my Saturday night barhopping cousin to trade in her six-inch stilettos for a six-inch paintbrush. Karen Perez was happy with her first experience at Pinot’s Palette.

“I loved it,” she said. “I was thinking ‘paint and wine sound boring’ but I had so much fun, and I am going to sign up for another class. I don’t mind doing this instead of going out all the time. It’s different and I still get to have my wine.”

For three hours my ears rang with the sounds of music and laughter; the crisp taste of wine refreshed my mouth; my fingers were acquainted with paintbrushes and my eyes were enamored with the fusion of colors that brought to life Japanese Moonlight.

I painted, drank wine, and had so much fun. For a moment, I even felt like I could be as great as Pablo Picasso! I certainly am no Picasso, but I left Pinot’s Palette with a newly found affection for painting.

Most importantly, I left reminding myself, “I am an artist. I am beautiful!”