There’s “Wine & Paint.” Then there’s “Wine & What is That?” ~

THEN there’s the “I can make a mountain out of a molehill Paint moment!”

I had always wanted to try my hand, so to speak, at a Wine & Paint night.

I’m more of a beer drinker, so I was skeptical about the “Wine” part.

And not being acrylically talented, I was very skeptical about the “Paint” part.

But hey, a girls’ night out with my daughter Jane, some wine, a blank canvas, some acrylics, lots of woman AND a fundraiser for our town’s Bristol 4th of July Committee? Sounded like a masterpiece of a night to me.

I was very excited, upon arriving, that the Paint portion a was scene from our very own town, Bristol, RI — specifically highlighting a winter scene of our  famous Red, White & Blue median stripes that run the just about 2.5 miles of our famous 4th of July Parade, the oldest continuously running 4th of July Parade in the United States. Plans are already underway for our 232nd parade in July 2017.

My home is on Hope Street, along the first half mile of the parade route. My husband and I drive along the Red, White & Blue stripes every single day…

Our instructor’s artwork was exquisite. Oh, how I hoped that mine could be a fraction of the beauty of hers. Again, the scene was winter. The trees lining Hope Street were bare. There was snow on the ground. The sidewalks on each side of the street were clear. The Red, White & Blue stripes were brilliant.

The only thing missing were houses…

I can do this, I thought.

Pour the wine.

Jane and I sat with two very fun, easy-to-get-to-know women.

That’s where easy stopped with me.

The art scene was a nice, l-o-n-g view of the festive stripes; mostly because, as I think back, the Bristol Parade Route is flat. As in flat. Perfect for a wonderful l-o-n-g view. Did I mention flat?

My painting began to look like a mountain.

A mountain with trees, sidewalks and snow.

Not to worry, our instructor insisted. There were many details to add to the street scene with the stripes and trees and snow that would bring everything together.

OK.

Does anyone have a cooler with a 6-pack?

On I brushed, squiggled, strippled, scuffled and fuzzed.

I still had a mountain.

A mountain with trees, sidewalks, snow.

And now snowflakes, tiny colorful lights in my trees, swirling clouds, and snowflakes falling from somewhere 20,000 feet up. 

i.e.: a mountain.

Women all around me had dazzled their L-O-N-G view paintings with brush strokes of color and genius. I could see for miles and miles and miles.

Flat.

Then it was time to paint streetlamps and an artistic representation of that glorious STAR that hangs above Hope Street in downtown Bristol during the Christmas season…

Well.

Someone take my keys and drive me home.

OK. I had given it my best Alla Prima.

But came up short.

Or tall.

Mountainously tall. 

With that star decoration dangling on the precipice of my mountain.

It looked like Folk Art gone bad.

I brought my “Paint” home. (I just couldn’t call it “art”!) I looked at it every day. I studied it. I had had such a good time at the Wine & Paint event and so wished for some semblance of home in my scene.

Then I had my ah-ha! moment. I was making a mountain out of a molehill.

So why not make a mountain of mixed media with a little inspiration from my husband Barry’s and my 2016 Christmas card with our 12 grandkids…

I headed to our local craft store and picked up a little paint set with tiny tubs of acrylic paint and a few brushes…

And soon had Hope Street Mountain with a bit of a snow storm brewing. Now the Star was a true Star from Heaven appearing at the precipice of my mountain, no strings attached…

I then brought Barry into the picture, so to speak. He sketched and colored-pencil a sleigh. I cut the image of our grandkids and us…

We had a winter wonderland with no wine involved!

Right in our own front yard.

Or mountain.

Now, by gosh, by golly, we were ready to hang that “Wine & Paint” gone “Bad Folk Art” to “Old Folks’ Art”!

But “Old Folks’ Art” with the greatest Heart!