Last year was the start of my doing things and going places that I’ve never experienced before. This year, it continues. Every time I ride by one of the painting party places, I think to myself, that looks like fun, although, I’ve never seen a painting I wanted to paint, and what would I do with it when it’s finished? I was recently invited to a surprise party at Paint Monkey in the Waterfront. They are located in the old Linton’s, right across from P.F. Changs.
I love a good party, especially a surprise party (by the way, “happy birthday, Penny”); it was exciting to go somewhere and do something that I have never done. I was anxious to see how these painting parties work. I walked in and found that the painting is pre-selected by the host; that night, the hostess selected the “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson. Fortunately, the canvas was outlined so it makes it much easier to complete the painting. The instructors were perky and helpful, they gave us great guidance on how to complete our pictures and get the best results. I found the experience to be relaxing and fun. It was interesting to see how each of us had a different interpretation of the same subject.
I read an article in Consumer Reports on health, titled, “Make Art, Melt Stress.” It says that sculpting, painting, drawing or creating a collage helps reduce levels of cortisol––a hormone that increases when you are under stress. Creating art helps newbies to art and veteran, artsy–craftsy types, alike. The article said volunteers who struggled at first (but ultimately liked their project––that would be me) or who said the experience helped them learn something about themselves were more likely to see a drop in cortisol. This is a good thing. While I was painting, I was enjoying it. It reminded me of paint by numbers or coloring for adults.
My other new venture for this year was enrolling in a sewing class. Sewing is not new to me, I actually made my prom gown. But it has been a long time since I have sat in front of a sewing machine. My sister was kind enough to give me a brand new machine that I spotted in her garage. I remember how I used to love to make skirts and dresses; why not try it again. I am taking a few sewing classes at JoAnn’s and plan to take a quilting class as well. Once I got started, it was just like riding a bike; it all started coming back to me. Threading the machine and loading the bobbin wasn’t too hard after all. I understand they now have machines that are self-threading. Now that I am going to be sewing again, I have thought about all kinds of things that I can make––throw pillows, quilts––and I can replace my favorite bathrobe by making my own.
2017 is going to be great and filled with brand new adventures.
(Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com)
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