Expressing their inner colors

SEELEY LAKE – Uncorked and Creative Artist Instructor Kris Gullikson invited guest artist Sissy Miller from Frenchtown to introduce the Dec. 10 class to the art of paint pouring. Following Miller's instructions, the group produced lovely multicolored bulbs to brighten their Christmas trees.

The art technique called pouring requires the use of acrylic paints into which an additive has been mixed that improves the consistency and provides a smooth flow, resulting in colors that mix more uniformly.

Plastic shot glasses held just the right amount of paint to cover the clear glass bulbs and each participant chose three colors. They poured their base color on the top of their inverted bulb and let the paint run down. Then they added the next two colors one at a time, allowing them to flow downward.

Theresa Friede chose black, metallic gold and white. "It was fun to see how the colors meld together as they're sliding down," she said.

Miller commented, "They all turn out different, even if you use the same colors."

Each participant created two Christmas bulbs. As a bonus project they used the rest of their paint to create a poured abstract art piece. Those also came out very different for each person. Gullikson said all they needed was a frame and they could go right onto the wall, though she said she might use her blue and white canvas as background to paint on, perhaps of a polar bear by a waterfall.

Jayne Lutz used a fork to create a feathery effect on her purple canvas. She said she was pleased with both her bulbs and her abstract. "I'm surprised considering I have no art talent," she said.

She has been to this sort of artist-led class before and said, "It's amazing how the instructors can talk you through it – even if you have no talent – and they turn out well."

As the women put on their coats to leave, they commented to one another, "Oh my gosh, that was so much fun!" "It was awesome!"

Gullikson has been teaching Uncorked and Creative social painting classes for seven years. Each class features a different subject and students simply follow her lead. Gullikson furnishes all the supplies as part of the course cost.

Though this paint-pouring class included several new people, Gullikson said, "I have a lot of repeat customers, so that tells me it doesn't matter so much what we paint. It's just getting together and painting and relaxing and just being creative together." The tagline on her business card reads "A safe environment to learn, create and express your inner colors!"

To learn more about Uncorked and Creative classes visit Gullikson's website http://www.uncorkedandcreative.com. She also teaches private classes and has home kits available.

Gullikson said, "My goal this coming year is to make sure everybody knows that I teach step-by-step painting classes and that I'm here in Seeley Lake."