Typical night out takes artistic turn
A new business promises wine and good times in the near future.
Danielle Freeman and Sara Lyons, co-owners of Painting with a Twist, have doggedly pursued their goal of opening one of the studios, which offers an artistic take on the typical night out, in Hot Springs for two years.
Freeman said the inspiration for opening a franchise location here came from the inconvenience of driving all the way to Little Rock to paint.
“My friend was getting married, and she wanted to do something like this, but we didn’t offer it here in Hot Springs. She wasn’t too thrilled with that. She wanted to do Painting with a Twist, but no one wanted to drive
to Little Rock. So I got home one night and started researching it,” she said.
“It said on the home office website, ‘become a franchise owner,’ so I started researching the specs on it and got really interested in it. I submitted a form to see if I could qualify to become one. It said I could, with a partner.”
At the time, Freeman was taking dance lessons with Lyons. The two began discussing business, and forming a partnership was proposed. After a personnel change, Lyons gladly accepted.
The two said they feel Painting with a Twist will bring a refreshing change to the typical night out.
“It’s something different. It’s not going to the movies or going to the bowling alley. It’s not the same. It’s different. Each class is different. You can go and play a million rounds of bowling, but every night that you come here there’s a different painting, there’s a different instructor, there’s a different atmosphere. It’s all different,” said Freeman.
These ladies are no greenhorns when it comes to business. Freeman is the store manager of Kay Jewelers in Hot Springs, while Lyons owns and operates Spa City Tropical Winery.
Both Freeman and Lyons expressed their pride in the progress they have made in their venture, especially as two businesswomen.
“People ask me all the time how to start their own business. My advice is just to go for it. It’s scary, and it’s hard, but just go for it,” said Lyons.
“If you’re going to open a business, find something you’re passionate about. Otherwise, if I wasn’t passionate about Painting with a Twist, I would have said I was done and out,” she said.
“You don’t know unless you try. If you fail, at least you can say you tried,” Freeman added.
Both ladies agreed the construction process and obtaining permits have been the biggest challenges so far.
“Construction, in general, has been taking a while,” said Lyons.
To ensure the best customer experience possible, six artist instructors have been hired, television screens have been placed at different angles around the studio, and a sound system with a microphone have been installed to guarantee all can see and hear the on-stage instructor properly.
“It’s not even about how good of an artist you are. With the instructors and the way they teach, I have not seen a bad painting yet from Painting with a Twist,” said Freeman.
An artist instructor will paint on a stage at the front of the studio to walk Painting with a Twist students through the entire process of creating their own art. There will also be other artists circulating around the studio to assist any who might fall behind or need extra attention.
Two-hour sessions will be offered for $35 per canvas, with classes of up to 36 people. A different painting will be the subject of each session.
There will be a party room available for rent, as well as reduced price children’s sessions, children’s camps that will run during the summer and spring breaks, and couple’s sessions. The studio will offer screen painting and woodcut painting, as well.
To supplement a library of over 13,000 copyrighted paintings, five paintings were commissioned specifically for and exclusively to Hot Springs.
The paintings feature a thoroughbred at Oaklawn, a pontoon boat on one of the nearby lakes, Hot Springs Mountain Tower and surrounding woods, the likeness of a downtown bath house, and a vibrant Arkansas Razorback on a sea of aqua-blue swirls.
Painting with a Twist will also offer special programs. Free monthly SOS Nights will be held to amend any mistakes that painters feel like they may have made on their piece with an artist’s guidance. Open Studio will also be offered monthly, in which the painting for that session is each customer’s individual choice.
Freeman and Lyon teased theme nights, such as possibly Reggae Nights or Black Light Painting Nights.
The business partners expect the Paint Your Pet program to be especially popular. Customers will submit photos of their pets in advance, and Painting with a Twist artists will pre-sketch the animal’s likeness in black and white. When customers come in for their sessions, they will receive a three-hour, one-on-one with an instructor to ensure the finished painting is an accurate portrait of the pet.
Freeman and Lyons anticipate obtaining a liquor license and plan to offer beer, wine, and wine smoothies at low rates.
Light outside snacks will be allowed in the studio, but no outside drinks. There will also be complimentary coffee and water available.
Walk-ins will be welcome as long as there is seating availability, but reserving seats in advance is advised. A calendar will list the paintings for each night and will be released one month in advance.
Though there is no concrete opening date set, the ladies of Painting with a Twist say to look for a grand opening in the near future.