Written By: Melissa Buzan
The Vin Gogh Experience
“Every guy should know – if you take a girl here, you’re getting lucky.”
Now, it may have been the wine talking, but the pleasantly rambunctious woman sitting next to me had a point. As far as great dates go, Vin Gogh nails it – seriously, no pun intended. This paint and sip studio’s atmosphere is not only fit for a fun romantic experience, but it can also rock your group date, girls night out, first date, and even solo outing — for the ones that just need a night to themselves. It’s all accomplished in the concept, which is simple:
You paint. You drink.
With this straightforward approach, Vin Gogh has had much success bringing this studio to Calgary.
You’ll want to sign up early if you plan on checking Vin Gogh out. Sold out sessions have been a common thing for the studio. Signing up is easy:
How it works
- Check out the online calendar – at www.vingogh.ca Here, you can have a look at what paintings are featured for the month, then pick the one you like.
- Register – Once you find a painting, sign yourself up. You can also add up to 9 friends or dates (9 dates at once? Lucky you)
- Show up – Doors open at 5:30pm Painting starts at 7pm.
As a glass of wine or beer is included in your package, showing up early gives you a chance to enjoy your drink and have a go at something off the menu, which I highly recommend you do. The food is delicious and comes out of the kitchen fast. The painting station is set up on one side of the studio, and a lounging area is on the other. Walk around and check out the displayed paintings, or chill over drinks before the tutorial starts. Point is: Fun is permitted.
Also included in your package is a canvas, brushes, paint and an apron — so you can still look smokin’ and not have to worry about ruining your outfit. At 7pm one of the artists (yes, they have real artists) will take the stage and show you step-by-step how to complete the painting.
No painting experience? Don’t even sweat it. Being intimidated is not something to worry about here. The tutorial is easy to understand and filled will lots of breaks so you can focus on your painting and your date. Plus, the bar stays open so you keep the food and drinks coming, only helping the outcome of your painting. If the wine is still not unleashing your inner Van Gogh, the artists offer up tips to help you along.
On a side note – If you’re on a first date, and there’s that dreaded moment of awkward silence (not likely here), you can always pretend you’re focusing on your painting rather than not knowing what to say. Win!
After you’re all done, nothing’s left to do except stare in awe at your Picasso-like creation…no cleaning required.
So if you haven’t caught on already, my experience was unique, lively and I just can’t get past the name, Vin Gogh — a clever spin on wine-o and Van Gogh. Fun for any age, demographic and of course, the one’s looking to “get lucky”.
