The Painting with a Twist logo.
Photo Credit: Akilah Smith
Offering a unique and memorable experience, Painting with a Twist brings a new festivity to Tallahassee and the surrounding areas.
Painting with a Twist offers painting classes with an instructor that are two to three hours long. The painting sessions are considered fun art, not fine art.
You can invite your friends for an open or private party while sipping your favorite beverage, and enjoying step-by-step instructions with experienced and local artists.
In Tallahassee, Samuel Rosenstein is the primary instructor at Painting with a Twist.
“The way that our boss tries to organize the calendar is that there are certain paintings that are very popular, so they get requested a lot. She tries to input them in the calendar more frequently, but genuinely you are not going to get the same thing,” Rosenstein said.
Painting with a Twist was founded in 2007 when two women, Cathy Deano and Renee Maloney wanted to contribute to the rebuilding of Louisiana following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The company was originally called “Corks ‘N’ Canvas,” and the first franchised location opened in Lafayette.
Classes are $35 for two hour paintings and $45 for three hour paintings. They offer birthday parties for children and adults, but all private parties must be requested two weeks before the desired date for a guaranteed slot. Painting selections are also matched with the seasons of the year.
From organizations on college campuses to residents in the community, different people host events and parties featuring Painting with a Twist. Jessica McDaniel celebrated her 35 birthday with some of her closest friends in a private party hosted by Painting with a Twist on Monday, Oct. 21.
Jessica McDaniel celebrating her 35th birthday in a private room at Painting with a Twist.
Photo credit: Akilah Smith
McDaniel is a local resident that wanted to celebrate her birthday in a new fashion with friends she had not seen in a long time.
“I am big on friendship, women bonding, empowerment, and it is fun. A lot of these ladies have not done it before and I have, so I thought it would be a cool idea to do. We’re having a great time; it is a reunion. I just moved back to Tallahassee from Orlando, so it is [my] first time seeing all these ladies in a long time, it’s a great time, and great painting,” McDaniel said.
Holly Scherlacher is an instructor at Painting with a Twist, who has worked with the company for three years and takes a lot of pride while teaching her classes throughout the weekend. Scherlacher recently moved from Gainesville, where she obtained a degree in the arts.
Scherlacher’s focus is to give people a great time and allow individuals to enjoy the atmosphere that Painting with a Twist has to offer.
“It is a different night out for a lot of people, so I don’t want to them to be really stressed, and in most cases, they will come in nervous about it,” the instructor said. “We are here to make good paintings, but we are also here to have a really good time. So, we listen to good music, and I encourage people to bring in their own beverage and snacks. Just enjoy the atmosphere of it more than ‘I just want a good painting out this.’”
If interested in signing up for a class, Painting with a Twist office hours are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and they are located in Building 8 at 1660 N. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32303.