When we are post-football season, I tend to turn my Sunday Fundays into utter hibernation day. But with Spring technically here and Spring weather supposedly right around the corner, a lot of people are itching to be social again – and to find a place to be social warmly!

I checked out a painting party a couple of Sundays ago, at The Art Studio NYon the Upper West Side. Not only does it dole out a warm social activity, but they also supply the wine at their 1-nite painting parties.

To the contrary, The Art Studio NY, serves up a civil, fun way to learn a little about painting, test out your skills (or lack thereof), get a little tipsy and meet new people! From a fellow television writer, to a 12 year old that was painting for the first time with her father, to a wine-ologist, my classmates ran the gamut of interesting to more interesting.

Unlike some other social painting classes, The Art Studio NYencourages you to express yourself on the canvas, to be as literal or imaginative as you’d like. Our instructor for the evening, Jacob, gave us the basics: How to use acrylics; how to start our canvases on the right foot, and then let us loose. The interpretations in the small class varied from trying to replicate the painting in front of us exactly, to using the same colors that were used in the example and creating something completely different. Jake encouraged each vision individually and would kindly step in with a suggestion or help if we needed it.

I was going for a passionate interpretation of the painting in front of me, using bold colors, when suddenly my fiery orange was splotched by the most hideous gray. Everything I tried to fix it just kept making it worse, until Jacob came by, mixed some acrylics on my palette for me and created a really lovely lilac.

“Wait ‘til it dries, or you’ll get a gross brown,” he said.

I just stared. “Can’t you just do it for me? I don’t want to mess it up more.”

And sure enough he agreed. Yay!

If you are looking for an art class, but are daunted by the actual act of painting or drawing, The Art Studio NYmakes the process absolutely painless and exceptionally entertaining. With their instructors who are clearly passionate about art and equally passionate about teaching, you’ll find yourself in a stress-free environment that encourages you to just be you. Whether you want to paint uninhibitedly, or improve your technique, the versatility and fantastic attitude of the instructors will help you be happy with what you have created.

The wine doesn’t hurt either!