Paints Uncorked

Had a wonderful time! It was a great group activity/​bonding experience and the step-​by-​step instructions (by Mikaela) were very easy to follow and led to making a beautiful painting I didn’t think I was capable of making! Mikaela, the instructor, was very friendly, helpful, and a great teacher. I will definitely do this again!

I won’t be going back. Instructor did not instruct. She rushed through the class. The class set up was awful, you could barely see the tiny sample board. The tables should have been set up facing the instructor but they weren’t. The lightening was horrible. It was at 57 Degrees which is a wine bar with soft lightening. I have no idea what colors I was making up until I reached home. The wine was okay both food and wine were a bit pricey. I could actually say if the instructor was better I wouldn’t have minded any of it.

This was my first time doing a painting event but always wanted to go. We had so much fun that when we went back home to LA we went to a few more painting activities. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The instructor was easy to follow and took her time explaining each step. We will continue to join these events.

I’ve been attending these types of painting classes/​activities for over a year now… pretty regularly as well… so I can confidently say that I’m not a beginner. But never have I wanted to walk out on a class before. I was so frustrated and not pleased within the first 30 mins that I didn’t even want to continue.
I’m dumbfounded because what is offered on their website are really great paintings. Different variety and looked intricate. So I fell in love with this watercolor looking flower painting. I should have known better when I saw on the website that it was painted by someone else. And a different person teaches it.
The instructor was nice, I’ll give her that. Very positive. But if she wasn’t able to recreate the painting… then she shouldn’t be teaching it. Instead, she said tht the painting was very abstract and that we are using it as «inspiration». Wth. That’s not what is advertised and not what I signed up for.
I felt sorry for all the newbies in the class! They were all disappointed that it didn’t look like flowers nor anything like the website. I ended up just staying and painting my own thing and not even listening to the instructor. I went home and gave it to my mom to paint over because I had no use for it in my life. Waste of 2 hours to be honest. And yes… she was done in like 2 hours. Maybe if she took her time and taught for the whole 3 advertised hours… then it might have looked better.
See the picture I uploaded and you tell me if it looks like what was advertised.
Oh!!! And get this… they only gave me 4 colors on my plate to paint with… wth. White. Blue. Red. And yellow. Geesh. They made us mix all the others on our own. I don’t understand the rationale behind that.
Lucky I bought a living social for it. But still. I should have known better than to stray from the company that I had loyally been attending the past year. Never again!
P. s. the only reason I ended up giving 2 stars was because I appreciated that they changed out the water and wasn’t stingy about providing new plates and napkins.

Rushed. Instructor more concerned about her time than keeping everyone on pace. Ordered food twice and never saw it.

I bought a Groupon to attend one of Paints Uncorked’s events being held at Venga Venga in Chula Vista with one of my Meet Up groups. I had so much fun! I didn’t think I had an artistic bone in my body. However, the featured artist did a great job of explaining each step and my painting (acrylic paints) came out great and is now hanging in my office. I would definitely do this event again :-)

Whoa, can’t believe no one wrote a review for this yet!
Let’s go ahead and add another «First to Review» to my list.
When I was first asked to go to one of these events the first thing that came to mind was a bunch of ladies, sipping on wine, painting a blank canvas and turning it into their masterpieces.
So many questions went through my mind…
1. «will there be guys there too!?»
2. «Is it wine only??»
3. «I can’t paint, will they judge my art??»
4. «Are we painting a model…»
5. «a nude model??» teehee
Those were just a few questions that would soon be answered once we got there.
The event was held at Venga Venga restaurant in Chula Vista.
We sign in and get our canvasses. I survey the room and so far the answer to my first question was answered. No guys present (besides one of the hosts). We set up at our table. We are seated with a group of 3 lovely ladies who were celebrating a friend’s birthday. «go shorty, it’s your birthday!»
Question number 2 was answered right away as I looked over the menu. They have beer! Now I can get drunk and hope my inner artist comes out to do work!
Our instructor for the night was Mikaela. She is a young, hip artist who recently moved back home to SD after finishing Art school in San Francisco. She jumped on the mic and showed us what we were about to re-create…and no it wasn’t a model or a nude model… Question 4 and 5 answered.
She teaches us a few techniques, we lay down the first few colors of our background. She goes around and gives a few pointers and even praises a few people on their work.
She must have a real good eye for beautiful art. She mentioned that she liked my effects I did on blending some colors, although I totally did that on accident! I guess that answers question 3… I still can’t paint and they really don’t judge.
So after about 3 beers and an hour and some change later, our painting is finished! As Mikaela stated in the beginning, we definitely surprised ourselves on what we created! Job well done instructor!
I ended up being the only guy painting with a room full of ladies (every guy’s dream right!?) but I didn’t care. I had a lot of fun and to think that I was so close to shooting the idea down!
Would I do this again? Most definitely. Get drunk, have fun, and create memories to last a lifetime all on a canvas. Bob Ross would be proud!
**You can also set up your own painting event and do it for charities as well**