The color of success
Painting With a Twist celebrates one year anniversary
Patty Walden brought an artistic way for Farragut residents, businesses and charitable organizations to host celebrations when she opened Painting With a Twist in Concord Square shopping center a year ago.
“I just feel so blessed,” Walden, owner, said about the business at 11000 Kingston Pike.
“The success has been great,” she added. “I try not to go into anything with great expectations because I might be disappointed, but I have not been disappointed at all.
“We’re doing really well. We’ve had some slow weeks but we’ve also had some crazy weeks.”
Her clients can book space for a celebration and paint a picture as part of the party experience. Painting With a Twist also offers art classes to the public.
During the summer, she will offer children’s classes during the week. There is no age limit for the youngsters, and adults can join their children in the classes.
“I let parents paint with the classes because I love to see families paint together,” Walden said. “In fact, we’ve had family reunions where great grandma and 7- and 8-year-olds paint the same picture together.”
Painting With a Twist also will offer summer camps and fundraisers, such as the fundraiser it held June 4 for a new chow hall for Camp Galilee in Lafollette and a fundraiser for Joy of Music School it held June 6. It has booked an event scheduled to start at 2 p.m., Sunday, June 11, to raise money for research for SCN8A Epilepsy, a mutation of the SCNBA gene.
“I do a lot of fundraisers,” she said.
Since the Farragut franchise opened, Walden said her business was featured on Channel 8’s morning show and on PBS.
“And, Disney has allowed us to do promotionals for when they release a film or DVD, which is very exciting,” she said. “They have been partnering with Painting With a Twist for a while but they have opened it up to all the studios.”
Painting With a Twist also has a new Bluetooth canvas, a canvas that has Bluetooth capabilities to play with any phone, iPad or other device, Walden said.
“We’re also starting paintings on 2-foot-by-3-foot canvases,” she added. “That’s been really popular. We also have new art being added to the franchise’s art gallery, which is fun.”
The store is part of a franchise, which was started initially by Corks N Canvas founders Cathy Deano and Renee Maloney. They started Corns N Canvas in Mandeville, Louisiana. in 2007 and then franchised it as Painting With A Twist in 2009.
The concept paired instructional art with friends and wine. Individuals may
book parties for such events as birthdays, anniversaries and showers; companies may book corporate events, and churches and charitable organizations may book fundraisers. During the events, an artist will stand on the stage and show how to paint a picture step by step. Walden said beginners could feel just as comfortable in a class as an advanced art student.
Painting With a Twist is open from noon to 8 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, and from 2 until 7 p.m., Sundays. The calendar is available on its website at www.paintingwithatwist.com/knoxville or call 865-675-2500.
Sign up to book a party at https://www.paintingwithatwist.com/knoxville/calendar/
