By: Xzayver Curry
In Crosslake, local artist Sara Porter, creator and owner of Create & Paint with Sara. is helping the Brainerd Lakes Area learn about different ways to showcase the creativity and peacefulness of painting through her sip & paint classes.
Canvases, paintbrushes, and conversation are filling the room at Kicks The Art Place in Crosslake. Create & Paint with Sara’s Paint & Sip classes are offering community members an opportunity to explore their creativity in a relaxed, social setting.
Porter said herself” So there’s workshops and there’s paintings. So we try to get a lot of a variety of things going on. We tend to have smaller groups, which for some people that is more appealing to them because they feel like they can get a little bit more help and attention. They don’t have to try to keep up with the whole entire group quite as much. So hopefully it’s it is a creative place where they can come in and relax.”
Porter has been contracting at Kicks since 2018. Bringing a new, fun way to paint to the facility.
Owner of Kicks The Art Place, Linda Randall said” Sara is a great teacher for a step-by-step painting, and she has just thrilled a lot of people. People come in, and a lot of them say, I can’t paint, but Sarah gets them through it, and they end up with something they really do like.”
At these sip-and-paint classes, creativity takes center stage. Participants of every skill level can relax, learn something new, and head home with their own finished masterpiece.
Class Member Barb Parks stated” I keep coming back because she’s able to really explain what you’re doing and how to mix colors, how to use brush strokes. And she’s very, very patient. She doesn’t mind if you get behind and ask questions. And so the atmosphere is really just calm and fun and just a blast.”
Porter is looking to continue expanding her business into different avenues and offer more in the future.
Porter said, “I want to give people an options and have their own party here, no matter what time of year. They can get their friends together, and they can do something really fun, like a paint and sip. But they can bring in their own wine, they can bring in their own food, family reunions, whatnot. But I’d also really like people to be able to have a place to come and really learn more about art, develop their skills.And if they want to become a painter, you know, I want to be available to those people.”
For those interested, the next paint and sip style class will be august first, and the theme for the class is the kayak. in-between classes, porter hosts workshops for the community.