In good company with: Pinot and Picasso

A hangover in Hanoi, a sell-out night in Penrith, and why you don’t need to be a painter to make a masterpiece.

In good company is where we sit down with the brands, founders and partners we rate. Next up: James, co-founder of Pinot & Picasso, the people who took the humble painting class and turned it into a proper night out, with good wine, a playlist that's always just the right vibe and a host who’ll happily take your ABBA request.

We wanted to know how you get a room full of people who swear they “can’t paint” to pick up a brush on a weeknight. What came back was the honest version: a phone call to a hungover backpacker in Southeast Asia, a group of teachers on half term who turned neon night into Ibiza, and a very firm opinion on unpainted canvas edges.

Tell us the origin story for Pinot and Picasso that isn't on the website.

In 2018, I was hungover in a Hanoi hostel, midway through a 'find myself' trip around Southeast Asia (classic) when my best mate Aaron called.

His girlfriend at the time had just been to a painting class back home in Sydney. She loved the artwork she's created and loved doing it with a friend. She did say that it was definitely missing something: it could have been more fun and engaging, and it though it was enjoyable, she wouldn't rush to go back again.

Aaron and I loved live music and getting out, and we saw the opportunity straight away. We thought... what if you took an art class and made it a night out? Something enjoyable, memorable and meaningful, a place to spend your spare time and connect with friends.

The idea already existed, so our job was to make it better.

Within six weeks we'd signed a lease, registered a business name, built the website and set an opening date. That June, our first studio opened in our hometown of Penrith.

It sold out almost immediately... and so did the session for the next four or so weeks. Perhaps we were onto something...

What’s the one thing you notice in a session that most guests never would, but you’d spot straight away if it was off?

When the edges of a canvas aren’t painted on a sample painting. It’s a pet peeve…

Most people walk in nervous about “not being able to paint”. What do you say to them in the first five minutes, and what usually happens by the end of the night?

To trust the process. Guests are generally surprised with what they’ve been able to achieve. Either that or they’re just happy they had a great time without interruption.

If you had to describe a Pinot & Picasso night to someone who thinks it’s just wine and a canvas, what would you tell them?

It’s so much more than that. Just being in a dedicated space centered around freedom of creativity and fun allows people to loosen up and often find themselves feeling as though they’re having a break from the everyday rush. Pinot & Picasso is a sensory experience where the music is just right, the wine is tasty and you have the freedom to use your imagination but also be inspired and have conversations with people you may never have met otherwise.

Is there a special playlist for each painting? Who programmes the music, and how do they decide what fits?

I mean, our Mamma Mia events are of course ABBA. We do have specific playlists curated by our creative team but often enough the hosts take song requests to really engage our guests in the session.

What was the moment you knew the idea was really working?

As a founder, you're never sure it's working, or for how long. You take it day by day and try to enjoy the ride.

Some moments stand out: our first interstate studio to open on the Gold Coast, launching in New Zealand (without setting foot in NZ, thanks to COVID), and more recently, riding down Shoreditch High Street to see our big purple London studio open its doors, full of people for its very first session. Pinch me moments really.

What’s the most memorable session, theme, or group you’ve hosted, and what made it stick?

We once had a neon nights event where there was a group of teachers that had booked after breaking up for half term. Well it turned into a rave with a fair few splashes of paint (and wine). Think Ibiza classics, neon lights and a whole bunch of teachers on the loose. I’m sure you’ll get the picture.

What’s the next theme, collaboration, or session idea you’re dying to bring to Pinot & Picasso that we haven’t seen yet?

We do have our newest session coming to the studios this November which is called ‘Tiny Gallery’. This will include studio walk-in availability for the first time ever. The whole idea is for us to provide small canvases, paint pens and a welcome cocktail, creating the ultimate space for dipping your toes into creativity. In terms of ideas we're dying to bring to Pinot & Picasso, the list is endless!

There’s something about making something side by side that gets strangers talking. Why do you think that happens?

Being creative disrupts the expected and very often triggers emotional responses and in this case opens conversations between people. Whether that be laughing at a portrait some lad did of their girlfriend or being genuinely impressed by a painting someone's created. Being in the studio fosters an energy that draws people closer and in doing that brings back the comfort of random face to face communication.

What’s your go-to way to unwind creatively at home?

Dedicating a small amount of time to sketching something I’ve seen during the day. This could be anything from a cool shop front, a magazine cover I liked the look of or even a label on the bottle. Just spending a bitesized part of the day dedicated to creative reflection is the best way to unwind.

Fancy a glass of wine and a blank canvas? You can book Pinot & Picasso on the app.

Book Pinot & Picasso on Yonder →

More brands, founders and partners we rate to come.