Does Getting Tipsy Make You Artsy?

Maybe you’re familiar with Color Me Mine, a Glendale-based pottery studio that grew into an international franchise by tapping into childrens’ love of paint and pottery. Now, Valencia is getting an adult version of the pastime – with wine included. Stephanie Sewell is opening a local franchise of Houston’s Pinot’s Palette, an entrant into the ‘paint and sip’ trend. “Our mottos is, ‘Paint, drink and have fun.’ Friends can come in for girls night, date night, private parties,” said Sewell, 38, a former human resources officer who is partnering with her mother Kathy Guccione, 65. Pinot’s Palette features an artist who demonstrates a painting step-by-step, while patrons order up a glass of wine or a beer from a cash bar. Consumers can sign up in advance and take home their canvases. Classes range from $35 for a two-hour session and $45 for a three-hour session, not including the wine, which goes from $7 to $10 a glass. Sewell hopes to open her 25850 McBean Parkway shop in November. In doing so, she will join other California paint- and-sip studios, including Wine and Canvas in Pasadena. Pinot Palette’s startup costs are about $100,000, including a $25,000 franchise fee. Marie Gleerup, owner of Paint ‘n Pour, an independent studio in Redondo Beach, said there is plenty of opportunity in the industry. “We have our own unique artwork that is exclusive to us,” said Gleerup, who runs the shop with her husband. – Jacquelinne Mejia