Arte Bar is a newly opened venue (the first of its kind in Barcelona) which aims to bring together a grown-up past time: wine, and a forgotten pleasure from our childhood: painting. Giving 2h30 sessions Tuesday through to Friday with two sessions at the weekend, participants can expect to spend their evening painting, sampling local wines, socialising with other attendees, and by the end of the session go home with a freshly painted canvas. The perk? No experience required: wine or art-wise.
The owners of Arte Bar, Alisa Rosseter and Bruce Anderson leave no doubt as to whether you are in experienced hands. Having run an art school in LA as well as fine art summer camps in various locations (California, Toulouse, and then Girona) since 1999, Alisa and Bruce know what works. The atmosphere is very relaxed, and the class environment is friendly, allowing participants to wind down and enjoy the process. When booking on for a session, all you need to do is select a date that will tackle a painting that you like the look of.
We had a go and went to a session to tell you what to expect!
Arrival at Arte Bar
“Pupils” are told to arrive 15-20 minutes early allowing for some time to find a seat, set your painting area up, settle in, and perhaps order a beverage. Aprons are also provided to minimise damage in case of a Pollock moment.
Beginning/Picking up your brush
Putting down the first stroke of paint on a blank canvas can certainly be intimidating. If the aforementioned liquid courage is not taking effect, you can rely on the staff. Friendly and patient, they tirelessly work to put participants at ease. The demonstrations they do are manageable, simple, yet give results that mean you can be proud of the resulting artwork. To top things off, the instructors can speak English, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese and French.
Really settling in
The pace of the classes is slow and steady. This goes hand in hand with the ethos of Arte Bar, and their wish to make this a perfect meeting point for tourists and locals alike, who want to share a drink over a unique experience. You could imagine anything from after work drinks to that perfect girls´ night event finding this to be the perfect environment.
Getting the hang of it
Working on creating a painting by adding one simple layer at a time is a great, bite-size way in which to handle painting. The stages are basic and manageable, with detail being added gradually. Between layers there are breaks during which participants can pick up a hair drier from behind their seat to ensure the acrylic paint is thoroughly dry.
The finished product
The step-by-step approach means you may not realise just how much progress you are making! Before you know it, you will have a painting much like the example on display throughout the session, albeit with your own personality stamped on it. Participants are free to choose the colours they wish for their masterpiece, meaning you can let your inner hippie run free and go psychedelic, or keep things demure with muted colours. For the traditionalists, you can keep faithful to the example; regardless, the beauty of this event is the freedom. You can think about the painting as much, or as little as you wish. Just enjoy!
Address: Carrer de Roger de Flor, 135
1 Comment
This looks great fun! Definitely going to give it a go!