Drinks and Paint with Course Horse and Art Studio NYC

By Nicci Jordan Hubert

Model and actor Sasha Azevedo once said, “When you’re a beautiful person on the inside, nothing in the world can change that about you. Jealousy is the result of one’s lack of self-confidence, self-worth, and self-acceptance. The Lesson: If you can’t accept yourself, then certainly no one else will.” She’s right, of course, and acceptance of oneself is an easy concept, but obviously, a difficult practice. And we all know it’s challenging in terms of our physical appearances, to put it mildly. But who knew it’d be particularly tough at a painting class?

My sister Brooke and I (and a small group of lovely ladies) were delighted to join the beautiful Rebecca Schweiger at the Art Studio NY‘s 1-Nite Wine and Painting Party–hosted by Course Horse–in a small, paint-splattered art studio on the upper west side.

But it was in that humble space that we were literally taught step by step how to paint. I was shocked at how simple and clear and understandable the directions were, but I was also shocked how tempted I was–we all were–to make fun of ourselves, to criticize our work, to compare our paintings to others’, and to find it hard to accept compliments. But thanks to the wisdom Rebecca brought to the class, we didn’t have a choice: it was her RULE. “No criticizing or making fun of yourself. This is about self discovery and reflection.”

What commenced, then, was a blissful, almost-judgment free night of lots of validation, a little tipsiness, and pretty awesome renditions of our “inspiration piece”–the painting which we were to gain inspiration from. Everyone in the class did something almost entirely different–it was stunning.

Brooke and I left feeling almost high–we’d spent three and a half hours trusting our instincts, praising ourselves, laughing at some moments and being utterly serious about the work before us in others. It was a night we’ll remember forever, to be honest with you. I couldn’t recommend the class highly enough–especially if someone you love joins you.

Working with Course Horse was easy and fun, and they have a pretty impressive selection of classes, depending on your interests. **Right now, as an exclusive promotion for Beauty and the Feast, you can get 10% off any class using the promotion code: BEAUTYANDFEAST. You can also get $10 for referring friends through Course Horse’s invite-a-friend program and earn points with every class you take good for discounts on future classes.**

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