Paint Nite: Totally beats paint by number!

More and more, we will see platforms that amaze us by their simplicity, allowing cool concepts to come to life. Paint Nite is one of them! 

This "social painting" platform allows people 21 years and older who would like to learn painting to meet artists who can teach them some easy tricks of the trade in local bars or restaurants, to produce very cool artworks in one fun evening in company of kindred spirits.

When
When clicking on the Calendar in the top menu of their website, you can choose a month and a city. 
You then get a listing of all the events held in that area for the whole month. 

Where
They list events by country, provinces and cities. For Toronto (GTA), you will see events from downtown Toronto to Markham, Oshawa, Oakville. The listing includes the full address of the venue, which name you can click to get more information. Events are held in pubs, large restaurants, smaller independent ones. 

On the listing, I've noticed The Colonel, one of the cool places I've seen on College Street! A very cleaver option is the Hilton Garden Inn by Pearson Airport, potentially saving transiting business travelers from boredom. (Click on the venue's name to get a list of all the sessions to be held there.)

How much
One session costs $45 (in US dollars), which includes all the material. It can go down to $36 if you buy four gift-sessions for one night. Sessions are usually 2 hours long with a 20-minute break.

How it works
When you've selected month and location, you click GO and you scroll down the Paint Nite events calendar to find some artwork you would like to be able to do. The platform gives you the address of the event, which artist is giving the workshop, the level of difficulty (if you feel a bit self-conscious, most venues will sell you a drink to loosen up...),  and it tells you how many places are still available. 

If a specific painting indicates that the painting session is sold out, don't worry and keep scrolling. Chances are the artist will offer another session later on, probably in a different venue.

Warning! The Paint Nite sessions are for people 21 years and older. People under 21 will be turned down at the venue, without a refund.

What
Here's a sample of the "Canvas Paint" workshops available when I did my research. And judging by the photos on their Facebook page, most people succeed in reproducing some decent paintings! Note that during the "Drinkware Paint" workshops (not available yet), you will paint on two glasses.

Artists who would like to teach a session should read this link! If you find out how much it pays, contact me to let me know. I'm curious!