By Judy O’Gorman Alvarez
RED BANK – It wasn’t so much a love of art or a love of wine that inspired Dorothy Fadell, her brother Fred and friend Rich Barton to open Pinot’s Palette, but a desire to give people a chance to create their own art in a comfortable environment.
“I think it’s great to bring art to the masses,” said Fadell. “To have people who haven’t painted since the fourth grade come in and paint for the night.”
Pinot’s Palette is a “paint and sip” studio where people are invited to uncork – or unscrew – their bottle of wine, pick up a paintbrush and try their hand at making art. If it sounds too daunting for some, a local artist offers step-by-step instructions to create a featured painting.
The studio at 12 Broad St. offers two- and three-hour classes for the budding artist. The studio can accommodate up to 48 artists and also has a smaller room for those who want to paint the town with friends. Pinot’s Palette provides all of the art supplies needed for the class.
Guests can bring their own wine, beer or non-alcoholic drinks and food. The studio provides wine glasses, corkscrews and ice buckets.
“People tell us we are their therapy,” said Fadell said, who is also a co-owner of a Pinot’s Palette franchise on Staten Island. “They have this happiness and satisfaction” when they are painting.
“People say ‘I used to like art, I used to be able to paint,’ ” she said, “ ‘but it’s been 20 years.’ ”
She credits Pinot Palette’s popularity to having a professional artist lead the room full of adventurous, curious and perhaps intimidated guests through the steps of creating a painting. The results usually are a lot of laughs, a bit of pride and a masterpiece of their own to bring home.
And wine, she admits, can helps with inhibitions.
“It’s very much a party atmosphere, as opposed to an art class in a local college,” she said.
The artists Fadel hires – all from the area – share their support, tips and a bit of their skill to help the amateur painters. The featured painting that guests recreate is chosen from the Pinot’s Palette’s extensive library of more than 600 paintings.
For more information, visit www.PinotsPalette.com.
