By Shelby Robinson
Painting & Wine Tasting: Paint Your Own Pet
Only a studio eclectic enough to offer soap-making and cookie-decorating classes would spend its Friday painting pets.
The Art Station, located within the Village at Leesburg, is a multifaceted, privately-owned art studio that offers a variety of lessons including: candle-making, painting, 3D art and mixed media.
Becoming a unique feature on the Leesburg art scene since opening in 2013, The Art Station’s co-owners Julie Lele and Gigi Toth say they enjoy hosting events and being part of the community.
This Friday, The Art Station will celebrate National Pets Day by hosting a fundraiser inviting people to come and paint a picture of their pet and partake in a wine-tasting. The proceeds will be going to Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation, an Alexandria-based animal rescue organization that saves dogs and cats from shelter euthanasia and helps them get adopted.
“We want to make sure we are always giving back and partnering with the community so we thought it would be a great idea,” Lele says.
The Art Station requests that attendees submit a close-up photo of their pet to [email protected] by April 9 in JPEG format so the artists will have adequate time to lightly sketch the picture on a canvas.
With the outline pre-sketched on the canvas, painters of all skill levels will be sure to learn a little bit about painting and leave the studio with a pet portrait worth displaying. Artists from The Art Station will give a brief lesson about color schemes then walk around and give the painters tips about blending and shading as they paint.
Aprons will be available while painting, but it is still encouraged that participants wear appropriate clothing and shoes. Although part of The Art Station’s mission is to provide art education to kids, this is an adult event. Young adults between 15 and 18 may attend with an adult but only painters 21 and over may participate in the wine tasting. Please arrive 15 minutes early to pick up your canvas and get settled.
Painting & Wine Tasting: Paint Your Own Pet
April 11, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
The Art Station: The Village at Leesburg
1601 Village Market Blvd., Suite 112
Leesburg. 20175
Tickets: $43
Includes pre-sketch, paint, canvas, and two tasting vouchers
