Cindy O’Steen’s favorite part about nursing was being able to help people feel better.
But leaving 26 years later didn’t stop her from spreading joy.
O’Steen left her nursing job to open Painting with a Twist, a painting studio that pairs wine glasses with brushes, in October 2012 in St. Augustine. After much success, she opened a second location in Gainesville last week, joining more than 100 other franchise locations across the U.S.
“Art is about letting go, putting your personality on the canvas and seeing what comes out,” she said. “There’s something freeing about that.”
The business, 618 NW 60th St. Suite B, offers art classes taught by local instructors and encourages participants to bring their own beverages.
The art instructor guides the group through painting one of the about 3,800 templates with accompanying music.
Kelli Daughtry, the Gainesville studio manager, said the first time she attended a class in St. Augustine, she was shocked by her creation.
“I wasn’t an artist,” Daughtry said. “I never in a million years thought I could do something like this.”
Gabriela Fernandez, 20-year-old UF family, youth and community sciences sophomore, said she’s excited to attend a Gainesville session after hearing about a relative’s experience at a Painting with a Twist studio in Miami.
“With Gainesville being such a small town, it’s hard to find new things to do every weekend,” Fernandez said. “This sounds like a unique experience that everyone can enjoy — even if they aren’t artists.”
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 3/14/2014 under the headline "Art business pairs wine with painting to uplift patrons’ spirits"]
