In the front of the classroom, owner and artist Anthony Sobrino dabbles his thick paint brush into a water-filled mason jar. After cleaning all of his brushes, he carefully selects each color that will transform his blank canvas into a breathtaking autumn scene. With rich hues mixed together to create a dramatic robin’s egg blue, he slowly strokes what will become a bright sky.
“How many of you here think you can’t paint?” he asks casually. Nearly every hand in the room shoots right up. “Well,” he retorts with a smile, “tonight I will prove to you why you are wrong.”
Brush Party, located on 718 Fourth Street in downtown Phoenix, provides beginning painters an opportunity to search for the creativity they never knew they possessed. Working in a casual and fun environment, the group painting class learns skills to produce a model-based painting in just 3 hours.
“I firmly believe that anyone can paint,” Sobrino said. “The reason why people believe that they aren’t artistic is based on their previous experiences with art classes in school.”
The way that the education system is run suppresses artistic talent, he added. Classes just grade artwork and don’t cater to a child’s strengths or interests in the craft, he said.
“Here, people just stand back and look at their painting that they just created and think ‘Wow, I can’t believe that I just did that’. It’s giving them a brand new mindset,” Sobrino said.
Sobrino was born in a rough neighborhood in the Philippines. He grew up next to a painter and would often watch him paint with wonder. Sixteen years ago, he moved to the United States where he finished high school and later joined the army. Sobrino began to draw and paint again five years ago.
He quickly discovered he had talent and the need to create and began his business of art. After getting asked by friends for his painting secrets, Brush Party officially opened its doors in November.
Guests need to call or sign up online to reserve one of the limited spots in the classroom. Brush Party often hosts themed painting nights, where painters learn how to create a particular topic, from sunny desert landscapes to glimmering city lights. A night of instruction, along with tools and paint, costs between $30 and $55 per person, and partner groups are also available.
Even though painting for the first time can often be stressful, Sobrino works hard to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
“You’re going to feel like I just gave you a massage tonight, without me even touching you,” he said.
Newcomers are encouraged to bring a bottle of wine to help them get relaxed. Sobrino leaves plenty of time for breaks so attendees can talk and meet new people.
“I love how this is so therapeutic,” said first-time attender Angela Salas. “It’s the perfect environment to just joke, relax and laugh”.
Lauren Cox, another attendee, loves the feeling of painting, especially in a group setting such as Brush Party.
“What I love about painting is how you can capture something from your point of view,” she says as she gently begins painting thin wisps of tree branches. “In a group environment like this, it creates a new kind of fun energy; we get to work off each other, get new creative ideas, and just talk and relax with a bottle of wine.”
Even though the night starts with a theme, participants are encouraged to branch out and be creative. And by the end of three hours, they have a fantastic masterpiece to call their own.
Sobrino finds it rewarding to uncover people’s hidden painting skills, but it’s also something he expects – after all, “everyone can paint.”
Sarah Alvarado, a kindergarten teacher, had some experience with painting through projects with her students, but never painted on a canvas until Brush Party.
Alvarado and her mother attended together for a fun bonding experience and received what they wanted and more.
“I’m amazed that a person with no experience can create something beautiful,” Alvarado said. “I would definitely come back; it’s fun and I loved it.”
Currently, Brush parties are held an average of twice per week. In January, that number will increase and kid painting classes on Saturdays will also be introduced. Brush Party also offers Couples/BFF nights every third Friday where couples get to paint a picture together as a date night.
After the brushes are cleaned, the paints stocked away and the participants long gone after discovering a bit of talent they had, a reminder on a chalk board at the front of the studio remains the same – “Yes, even you can paint.”
Contact the reporter at lauren.l.clark@asu.edu
