Welcome to our new blog!
Every shift I work, it seems someone tells me how cool our studio is, and asks me how long it has been in business. So, here is a little information about how we got our start and why we still paint and sip ten years later! Sipping N' Painting Hampden was started about 10 years ago by two friends, Kelly Doak and Reverand Susie Grade, together with their husbands Brian and Tim (respectively). As a minister, Susie's commitment to community service was already well-established, and Kelly brought with her experience in business and a desire to grow something great from the ground up. After initially teaching painting to members of their church in a basement, they found a great brick-and-mortar location for Sipping N' Painting in the Highlands neighborhood of Denver in 2012. In 2013, they opened a second location at I-25 and Hampden, and named both locations using a location qualifier -- Sipping N' Painting Hampden, and Sipping N' Painting Highlands. After some time, they bought each other out, with Kelly taking over on Hampden, and Susie in the Higlands. In 2015, Kelly sold Sipping N' Painting Hampden to Nancy Cronk (me!) who still runs it today. The Highlands location moved to "Up-Hi" in 2018, and has changed ownership from Susie Grade to Marty Platchko, to soon-to-be owner Krista Haubert!
Each of the two locations remains independently owned and operated, but a friendship, and a sense of pride for the shared brand, remain. Over time, each of the independent studios developed their own niche. At Sipping N' Painting Hampden, for example, the owner is a Certified Bob Ross Wet-on-wet Oil Painting Instructor who teaches certified Bob Ross classes 2-3 times per month. We also added Paint Your Pet and watercolor workshops once per month! Sipping N' Painting in the trendy Highlands area, teaches Paint Your Pet several times per month, and is planning to expand their children's art programming. Despite changes in ownership and location, the important things have not changed. Sipping N' Painting is not a singular business, but a shared vision. It's a vision of community, about creating a safe place for people to come and express their creativity. We're a place to sip a little wine or drink a beer, while neighbors put their thoughts and feelings and hearts on a canvas or a board with paint -- acrylic, oil or watercolor -- while they relax. We're a place where people who have never painted before can drop-in and learn from an experienced artist, and walk away with a beautiful acrylic or watercolor or oil masterpiece they can be proud of! We're a place where you don't have to be afraid to try something new artistically, and where you don't have to invest much money in trying out a new hobby. It's a safe place to bring your friends with you, or meet new friends! Beyond just creating art, Sipping N' Painting prides itself on our outreach to, and support of the entire community in metro Denver. We are welcoming and affirming to all, and we give back to our community through frequent fundraisers and donations of gift certificates to non-profits. We host private events from birthday, retirement, bachelorette, anniversary, graduation parties, to baby showers, corporate team-builders and family reunions. We work with our customers closely to create unique, one-of-a-kind celebrations they will never forget.
One of the added Sipping N' Painting is proud to celebrate it's ten year anniversary in 2020. Please call us and let us know how we can share the sip-and-paint experience with you to make your life more creative, more relaxing and more fun!
Cheers!
Nancy