Category: Historical Blogs

Published: 03 June 2020: Cork and Canvas will reopen their Sydney studios from 5 June. Get your BYO wine and Monet skills ready, as the studio will reopen for limited spots until all COVID-19 restrictions are fully lifted.

For the first class back, Cork and Canvas Darlinghurst will be kicking off Pride Month with a special pride-themed painting featuring a lion with a rainbow mane. Those on the north side can try their hand at Monet’s Water Lilies for their first session back at Cork and Canvas Crows Nest. Cork and Canvas has been hard at work during the lockdown coming up with new, fun, creative paintings and ideas to offer in their studios. Among their new paintings are the ‘Midnight Wave’, ‘Bay of Light’ and ‘Stargazing’ (which features the brand new round canvases).

Upon reopening their Sydney studios, guests will be seated in accordance to 1.5m social distancing while you get your paint on. Small groups and couples will be able to sit next to each other on the same table. The paint and sip studio will offer workshops for public sessions as well as private parties for you and your mates. These will offer a great team-building experience for those getting back to the office and keen to catch up in person with their colleagues – say farewell to Friday Zoom drinks at last!

Cork and Canvas will be implementing a number of measures to ensure the safety of all guests so here’s the lowdown: the studio will be professionally cleaned prior to each session, all guests will be greeted at the door with hand sanitiser, and glassware will be cleaned using an industrial glasswasher on the highest setting. and all wooden cheese boards will be removed.

During each session, the artists will be wiping down frequently touched areas with antibacterial cleaners. Guests will no longer be allowed to pump their own paint to avoid multiple-guest touching the paint pumps. Rather, guests may request additional paint from the artists who will then pump the paint for them.

For anyone who doesn’t feel well on the day of their session, Cork and Canvas are happy to reschedule your booking to ensure the health and safety of everyone attending. The team asks that if you feel unwell, to let them know as soon as possible so they can reschedule your session and avoid unnecessary last minute cancellation fees. For the safety of guests and artists, Cork and Canvas’ lead artist will reserve the right to turn away anyone that appears unwell.

For those still keen to stay home, on-demand sessions will continue. From $80, art lovers gain access to a step-by-step video tutorial from Cork and Canvas’ senior lead artists, as well as a creativity kit which can be mailed nationally, allowing Cork and Canvas fans in other states and regional areas to still enjoy the sessions post COVID. Within these kits, each person has enough creative supplies for their masterpiece. This on-demand service allows you to stop and start the tutorial and take the session at your own pace. Upon purchasing your ‘ticket’ to the virtual the session, you will have access to the video for a limited time. It’s worth noting, this will be the last week that live Zoom sessions are available, with the offer ending on 31 May as the studio gears up to reopen.

Founder of Cork and Canvas Melinda Janiszewski commented: “Like many businesses, the last few months have been challenging for us. But I’m so proud that we’ve been able to adapt and pivot our offering to keep our customers entertained in isolation. We’re ecstatic to be reopening our studios again and will be doing so with very stringent hygiene standards.”

Thank you Travel & Lifestyle for this great write up!

Published: 17 April 2020: Following the temporary closure of venues and events spaces due to COVID-19, Cork and Canvas is now launching on demand online paint and sip sessions to keep Aussies in isolation entertained and relaxed. The move to online workshops will allow Cork and Canvas to offer their incredible classes to people around Australia and beyond!

The ultimate way to unwind while bunkered down at home is to create a masterpiece right from your couch with Cork and Canvas’ brand new online workshops. Science says that painting and creating art helps significantly reduce stress, even if you’re no Van Gogh. With so much uncertainty around just how long this pandemic will last, anxiety levels for many are at an all time high. Research has shown that 45 minutes of creative activity significantly lessens stress in the body. Now imagine how chilled you’ll be after a full 2-hour workshop with Cork & Canvas’ artists guiding you right from the comfort of your own home.

For $25 art lovers gain access to a step-by-step video tutorial from Cork and Canvas’ senior lead artists. This on demand service allows you to stop and start the tutorial and take the class at your own pace. Upon purchasing your ‘ticket’ to the virtual class, you will have access to the video for a limited time. Over the Easter long weekend, families can get creative with the special Easter workshop for kids, offering a kids friendly Easter Bunny painting class.

Creative kits featuring paint brushes, paints and canvases can be purchased in single pack ($65), double ($120) and family sizes ($230). Within these kits, each person has enough creative supplies for two masterpieces. In collaboration with Wine Delivery service Different Drop, Cork and Canvas are offering creative kits with not only paints, brushes and a canvas, but also a $20 voucher for your wine order over $100 on Different Drop. Creativity Kits can be delivered nationally.

Founder of Cork and Canvas Melinda Janiszewski commented: “We are always looking for new innovative ways to offer paint and sip experiences in and outside of our studios. COVID-19 has no doubt challenged us to come up with something new and creative in the form of our online workshops. We hope these classes bring Australia and the world some much needed downtime and relaxation during a very stressful time.”

Cork and Canvas classes and creative kits can be purchased on their website.

Thank you Glam Adelaide for the great write-up!

Published: 17 April 2020: I swear, since going into isolation, everyone is an artist – some, admittedly, better than others. Even before then, more and more people were getting in touch with their inner Monet. And that’s thanks to the team at Cork & Canvas, who have been blessing us with Paint & Sip sessions that’ve popped up around the country.

But since venues and events have shut down – cheers corona – the Cork & Canvas team have come up with an innovative way to keep your creative juices flowing from the safety of your home.

Introducing: Paint & Sip online workshops.

These workshops are for everyone – from the Da Vinci’s to the Mr (and Mrs) Squiggles’; from the art student, to the law student; to the nurse taking their first day-off in months, to the recently unemployed hospo worker.

Science has proven that just 45 minutes of creative activity significantly decreases stress in the body; so imagine how mellow you’ll feel after a full 2-hour workshop and a class (or two) of wine.

So a bit of painting and pinot is just what the doctor ordered to take your mind off the uncertainty beyond your home. And you can channel it into some beautiful art to go inside your home.

For just $25, you can gain access to a step-by-step video tutorial from a Cork & Canvas senior lead artist (and they have a few). That means you can really slow down and follow the tutorial at your own pace. And if you have too many sips (it’s likely when you’re home alone), you won’t miss any important steps – just rewind the video.

Of course, purchasing a ‘ticket’ to the class will give you access for a limited time; but enough to get your magnum opus done and dusted.

And if you don’t have the supplies, Cork & Canvas sell creativity kits with brushes, paints, and canvases for two pieces. So whether you’re painting solo ($65), with your S/O ($120), or you’re in a trio ($230), there’s an option for you.

Better yet, C&C have collared with Different Drop, and kits include a $20 voucher to use on wine orders over $100 made on that website.

Everything about this is a work of art, worthy of a space in the Louvre.

Maybe that’s a bit much, but you deserve to take a night off and let your creative juices flow. And Cork & Canvas are here to make it happen.

You’ll be Bob Ross in no time!

Thank you 5Why for this great write-up!

Published: 17 April 2020: COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on our lifestyles – we’re staying in (and we implore you to, as well). Life has changed. Drastically. While it’s not permanent, it’s a big shift, and we’re all feeling it. While you’re doing the right thing (spatial and social distancing + self-isolating), we’re updating you with what you need to know about all the things you love. How you can still eat, drink, consume, watch and buy the things that bring you joy. How you can continue to support Australian businesses, artists, creators, makers and more. How you can stay amused, active, educated and entertained at home. How we can all stay connected to the things that make us us.

Following the temporary closure of venues and events spaces due to COVID-19, Cork and Canvas is now launching on-demand online paint and sip sessions to keep Aussies in isolation entertained and relaxed. The move to online workshops will allow Cork and Canvas to offer their incredible classes to people around Australia and beyond!

The ultimate way to unwind while bunkered down at home is to create a masterpiece right from your couch with Cork and Canvas’ brand new online workshops. Science says that painting and creating art helps significantly reduce stress, even if you’re no Van Gogh. With so much uncertainty around just how long this pandemic will last, anxiety levels for many are at an all-time high. Research has shown that 45 minutes of creative activity significantly lessens stress in the body. Now imagine how chilled you’ll be after a full 2-hour workshop with Cork & Canvas’ artists guiding you right from the comfort of your own home. 

For $25 art lovers gain access to a step-by-step video tutorial from Cork and Canvas’ senior lead artists. This on-demand service allows you to stop and start the tutorial and take the class at your own pace. Upon purchasing your ‘ticket’ to the virtual class, you will have access to the video for a limited time. Over the Easter long weekend, families can get creative with the special Easter workshop for kids, offering a kids friendly Easter Bunny painting class. 

Creative kits featuring paint brushes, paints and canvases can be purchased in single pack ($65), double ($120) and family sizes ($230). Within these kits, each person has enough creative supplies for two masterpieces. In collaboration with Wine Delivery service Different Drop, Cork and Canvas are offering creative kits with not only paints, brushes and a canvas, but also a $20 voucher for your wine order over $100 on Different Drop. Creativity Kits can be delivered nationally.

Founder of Cork and Canvas Melinda Janiszewski commented: “We are always looking for new innovative ways to offer paint and sip experiences in and outside of our studios. COVID-19 has no doubt challenged us to come up with something new and creative in the form of our online workshops. We hope these classes bring Australia and the world some much needed downtime and relaxation during a very stressful time.”

Thank you to Onya Magazine for this awesome write-up!

LEARN TO PAINT AND DRAW (WITH A GLASS OF WINE IN HAND)

Published: 17 April 2020: After spending so much time inside, you may get a little tired of staring at those same blank bedroom walls. Get those creative juices flowing and make something that you’ll actually enjoy looking at via a virtual paint and sip class. All of the studios are currently shut down, so some of them, like Sydney’s Cork and Canvas, have pivoted to offering online classes instead. For $25, you can access a step-by-step video tutorial to follow along whenever you like with a glass of wine in hand. And, if you need supplies, the studio is also delivering creative kits with paintbrushes, paint and canvases to your doorstep. There are single packs ($65), double packs ($120) and family packs ($230) available, and they all include a $20 voucher to Different Drop so the vino side of things is sorted, too.

Thanks to Concrete Playground for this great write up!

Published: 08 April 2020:
Just because we can’t go out, that doesn’t mean we still can’t participate in a fabulous art class (with wine) from home!

Today, Cork and Canvas has launched on-demand Paint & Sip sessions for people to enjoy from home!

For $25, art lovers can gain access to a step-by-step video tutorial run by Cork and Canvas’ senior lead artists and allows participants to stop and start the tutorial, meaning you can take the class at your own pace.

Once you’ve purchased your class, you can watch it as many times as you like for 10 days!

This should come in particularly handy over the Easter long weekend, where families can get creative with the special Easter Bunny painting class.

So, what if you don’t have your own supplies?

The company is also offering the purchase of Creative Kits filled with art materials ($65 – $230) which can be picked up from Darlinghurst, NSW until 17 April 2020. Deliveries directly to your door will commence after this day to all States.

But we know what you’re thinking: “What about the wine??”

Well, Cork and Canvas has teamed up with Different Drop to also offer $20 vouchers wine orders over $100.

Find out more information here!

Thank Hit.com.au for the write-up!

Published: 08 April 2020: We’re living for the cute ideas coming out of quarantine right now. With all this time to be creative at home, there are so many fun things happening online! From workout challenges on Instastory, to free cocktail masterclasses and online marketing workshops, people are really striving to adjust to this new way of life. Cork & Canvas are now also playing their part, introducing ‘Paint & Sip’ sessions at home.

It’s exactly as the name suggests. Grab some paint, grab some wine and bunker down at home as you paint yourself a beautiful masterpiece with the help of Cork & Canvas’ online workshops. This funky self-isolation innovation is bound to keep you entertained and relaxed while cooped up at home.

In fact, research has shown that 45 minutes of creative activity significantly lessens stress in the body. And with all the crazy stuff happening in the world right now, a little alone time spent de-stressing is something we all could benefit from. Plus, painting experience is not a requirement for this one. Absolutely anyone can pick up a brush and get painting!

Get Started

To get started, you can purchase a creativity kit here which will cover all the essentials. They include canvases, brushes, tubes of paint and complimentary disposable palettes to have you feeling like a true Picasso in no time. And with a kit for one costing just $65, that’s a pretty cool deal considering how expensive canvases can get. You can also get kits for two, four (family) and an additional supplies kit.

Honestly though, this is such a cute idea for couples or family bonding in quarantine right now. It would also make a great date night idea, set up with some candles and a homecooked meal! And if you’re riding solo, why not paint yourself a nice piece of artwork to hang on your wall. That way, in the future, you can look back at your art and remember just how weird the year 2020 was. 

Thank you The Adelaidian for the amazing write-up!

Published: 17 December 2019: A paint brush in one hand, a glass of wine in the other and a blank canvas in front of you. It may not sound like the average night out, but the paint and sip industry which has captured the “fun things you can do with friends and strangers” market in America is already showing signs of fandom here. The first company to introduce the concept to our shores, Cork & Canvas, has studios in Darlinghurst and Crows Nest (as well as Melbourne) and is ready to set up easels in many more parts of the country.

It’s a very simple idea: in a shared class each person sits at a long bench and has a table-top easel, blank canvas, paint brushes, four blobs of paint (to begin with) and their BYO nibblies and wine/beer/other. An enthusiastic – and patient – instructor stands at the front of the class with an easel and guides the class through each step. Everyone paints the same image – whatever the theme is for that session. When you book online you can see what the painting will be for that night, and themes range across beach, Venice, nudes, abstract – pretty much all artistic styles and with very easy subjects. They also hold occasional special classes such as their “glow in the dark paint” Halloween class; a Picasso class in which you paint another attendee (your partner, boss, bestie) in the cubism style; and Paint Your Pet class. 

There is absolutely no expected level of artistic ability and no judgement – at least not from the instructors.  The only required skill is to still be able to find the canvas with your brush after your (lost count) glass of wine. And while your aspiration to produce a painting in the style of “late modernism” may end up being more like “early kindergarten”, you’ll have loads of fun and a wonderful keepsake of your experience. 

It’s a popular option for corporate events, hens nights, birthdays, dates or just a crazy get together with boozy friends. Of course, you can elect not to drink alcohol… but why?

Crows Nest and Darlinghurst locations. From $50. Info & Bookings: www.corkandcanvas.com.au

Reviewed by Rita Bratovich

Thank you CityHub Sydney for this article

Cork and Canvas Darlinghurst
Bring your own liquid inspiration to this sip and paint studio.

For those that need a glass of wine to feel confident enough to get creative and paint, especially in public, Cork and Canvas is waiting. Offering public painting sessions and private events, this paint ‘n’ sip studio does not offer your typical art class.

Aspiring artists are invited to BYO drinks and nibbles to enjoy while they paint — fridges, plates, glassware and all painting supplies are provided.

Each session takes on a different theme, with the Cork and Canvas team taking you step-by-step through creating a Picasso-esque portrait of your mate, a pop-art-style painting of your pet, or the next Banksy exhibition piece.

Sessions will set you back between $50–80, and groups of eight or more score a cheeky discount. If you’re looking for somewhere to host your next work party, private sessions can be booked for up to 53 painters. Walk in with a little liquid inspiration and walk out with a new masterpiece.

Image: Trent Van der jagt.

Thank you Concrete Playground for this article

Published: 14 February 2019:

It’s that time of the year where Sydney’s Oxford Street goes OTT, framed with rainbows, glitter and sparkles on almost every store front and livened with music. Yes you guessed it – it’s Oxtravaganza, the annual event that kicks off Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival.

This year marks the event’s 3^rd Birthday and Cork and Canvas are joining in the celebrations in full swing opening the day with a giant painting of a bare branched tree which stands at a giant 36” x 48”.

Now before you say anything, the artwork has been left blank because we are inviting you to finish this piece with us. Donate a $2 coin and make your mark by dipping your fingertips with different colours and imprint them on the artwork. The final piece will feature rainbow fingertips that will mimic the leaves on the tree, symbolizing the unison of a community and its support for LGBTQ.

All donations will go to Twenty10, the chosen charity for Oxtravaganza. The Sydney based charity provides a broad range of services for young members of the LGBTQ community through counseling, mental health programs and housing across the state. The finished artwork will be hung in their office to showcase the ongoing support of the community.

We will also be selling our feature paintings which have never been available for purchase – until now. So, come by Cork and Canvas Darlinghurst Studio and take home a piece of art starting at $35, the earnings will go straight to Twenty10 to enable the continuance of their services.

Whilst your enjoying the fesitivites of Oxtravaganza, capture that perfect instagram moment in front of the giant rainbow wing mural that award winning artist, Ben Walsh has created in spirit of Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

And, don’t forget to share your insta moment with us by using the hashtag #letyourprideflyand tag Cork and Canvas Sydney.

Oxtravaganza is the event you won’t want to miss. So gather your friends and family and celebrate with us!

Cork and Canvas – Try it for Date Night

Published: 08 June 2018:

We’re always happy to help out with suggestions for good date nights. This one, is an awesome one in our opinion, because there’s some things that are done better with a glass of wine or a beer in hand. Karaoke is one, but this isn’t karaoke. Speaking a foreign language is another, but this isn’t speaking a foreign language. Art is another and this is art! Cork & Canvas is a fantastic place to take your own drinks and nibbles and get a painting lesson.

So what do you need to take? The answer is nothing, apart from whatever you want to drink and eat. Cork and Canvas provide all the art equipment… and knowledge!

Sessions are available in both Sydney and Melbourne and you get to take your art home with you at the end of the night. How good is that!

This week marks Pet Appreciation Week (4-10 June), and to celebrate, Cork & Canvas, are encouraging pet owners to head along to ‘Paint Your Pet’, their most popular and heartfelt boozy art class on 10^th June. Participants submit photos of their pet to the artists at Cork & Canvas, who then sketch the photo onto canvas, so even the most inexperienced painter can complete a pawfect portrait of their loving fur babies.

The 3.5-hour ‘Paint Your Pet’ session has professional artists providing step by step guidance on how to paint with acrylics on canvas, while allowing patrons to let their creativity run wild. Art essentials, glassware and good vibes all come provided at Cork & Canvas, while customers BYO drinks and nibbles. By the end of the session, customers can leave with a stunning masterpiece of their furry friends.

Beginning over five years ago in Melbourne, Cork & Canvas is proudly branded as “Australia’s 1st paint and sip studio”, and offers a unique experience for everyone. Owner Melinda Janiszewski started the studio as a way for people to have a “stress free, creative night out”.

Cork & Canvas’ ‘Paint Your Pet’ class on Sunday 10^th June costs $80, while other public sessions range from $50-$60. Group bookings of six or more receive 10% off.

Whilst this one has sold out, fear not, there’s a new date available… August 5th! You can book your spot right here.

What a great date night!

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Thank you to DAD’S STUFF for their article. [source link]

Blood and Wine on the Canvas

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Thank you to CONOR BURKE of EAST SIDE 89.7 FM for his article. We’re glad you survived and enjoyed your night of infectious, communal fun! We look forward to seeing you again. [source link]