Those who know me well (or who have been reading along on this blog) will know that my favourite art form to watch / be entertained by is MAGIC and Melbourne is lucky enough to have its own Melbourne Magic Festival! This annual festival runs during the Winter school holidays (running from June 26th until July 8th this year) and once again I’ll be hopping along to review a few shows where I can.
I’m also very excited to announce that I’ll be posting a series of performer interviews on this blog very soon! If you’re thinking of attending the festival, but you’re not sure which show suits you / your family, then these performer interviews will help you get to know the magical performers a little more (and will hopefully make a show decision that bit easier for you!)
If this introduction already has you wanting to know more, then the full festival schedule (plus the ability to buy tickets) is available now at the Melbourne Magic Festival website so be sure to check it out! We are so lucky to have this one of a kind festival happening every year in Melbourne, so be sure to check it out, support the local arts and even perhaps discover some performers you haven’t seen before.
As the evenings become colder and darker, a dreary week calls for a bright spot of creativity and entertainment – this is where paint and sip comes in! Housed within the beautiful Moonlight Manor in Croydon (part of the Wyreena Community Arts Centre) by Curious Events Co. The regular paint and sip evenings happen in a well lit and nicely decorated room and come with their own super creative painting host / instructor. The evening I attended with a good friend had us painting sunflowers and our host / instructor Tania was witty and clever, always armed with a fun comment, joke or helpful hint.
What I loved most about the whole experience is that there was no pressure – I felt that with Tania’s guidance we could do no wrong, that we were all going to turn out some wonderful sunflower paintings (and we did!) It was nice to have that confidence for an evening, as my creative background is more papercraft based. I often thinking of painting as super messy (so I don’t tend to do that art style so much at home). To have everything provided and not have to wear a smock over my regular clothing was a total win! It’s also an evening of treats, as, even though you BYO drinks they are served to you by staff members and little plates of cheeses and other treats are also provided. It was also to be a night featuring a couple of other surprises, so you’ll just have to come and see (and paint and sip!)
All of the participants were seated together around one long table which was nice as it meant we had the chance to meet some other people. It’s easy to strike up a conversation with someone new by commenting on their paintings / techniques and sharing some jokes. I also enjoyed how individual each person’s paintings were. Sure, we all painted sunflowers but some people’s sunflowers had a different angle or shape, the leaves and the collars of the sunflowers were different, as was the blending techniques used in the background of each person’s work of art. Paint and sip is a welcome break for the monotony of a working / parenting week, and we all had our paintings to take home at the end of the night (and proudly show to our loved ones which I sure did!). With the weather making indoor events all the more welcoming, be sure to give Paint and Sip by Curious Events Co. at Moonlight Manor a try! They have a series of paint and sip events lined up, so if sunflowers aren’t your thing check out the website for all kinds of curious painting subjects coming up in future.
Hayley and I with our lovely sunflower paintings!
VERDICT: suitable for adults of any / all crafting and painting skills, paint and sip is sure to bring some colour and creativity to your week. No need to worry about messy, costly supplies or no guidance – let Curious Events Co take care of all of that for you. Just BYO drinks and plenty of creative cheer. Highly enjoyable and recommended
Tay Around Town 