“Big Picture Paint & Sip Studio is a place for guests to paint, sip, mingle and simply have fun”, says the company’s founder Gennyne Hepburn, a certified public accountant, whose unwavering love of the arts drove her to officially launch the business earlier this month.
“Ever since I can remember thinking about what I wanted to do in life, running my own art related business always was on the top of the list. After years of research and considering my unwavering love of the arts, opening a paint and sip studio seemed to be the perfect business venture to move forward with. For me, it was the perfect way to have people share in the exhilarating experience that art and painting brings to me. By doing so, people would be one step closer to incorporating art into their daily lives while having an amazing time all at once,” says Hepburn.
Hepburn, a 2005 graduate of Hartwick College in New York, Hepburn holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a minor in studio art. While she has spent the greater part of her career crunching numbers and producing financial audits, she continued to hone her artistic talents throughout the years. In 2009, she hosted the first of many private exhibits where art lovers were able to acquire her pieces for their personal collections. Last year, she began art tutoring sessions on the weekends, teaching specific painting techniques to young learners which is when she realised that she could combine her love for art and passion for sharing it with others into a viable business.
“Big Picture Paint & Sip Studio is a place for guests to paint, sip, mingle and simply have fun! No prior painting experience is required yet guests are able to come in, be led through a painting in a relaxed and fun-filled environment, sip on a glass of wine and at the end, leave with a finished work of art created by yourself. It is a new place in Nassau for local residents and visitors to go to have fun and celebrate special occasions or a night out with friends,” says Hepburn.
Hepburn says that launching Big Picture, has helped actually helped to achieve a balance between art and design and finance. “There are the art and design components as well as the financial components which both need to be well managed. It simply takes prioritizing of task to make it all possible!”
The Big Picture Paint & Studio is located at 8 South Buckner Square, Sandyport, facing the marina. The studio is currently accepting bookings for private paint parties, group events, and corporate team building functions, bridal showers and interactive “Little Picture” sessions for kids. Weekly in-studio paint sessions are also available Wednesdays to Saturdays. Session prices range from $45 per painter for kids to $60 and up for adults and includes the guidance of an instructor. Each in-studio sitting includes wine and light refreshments for adults and lunch for kids. At the end of the paint session, clients are able to take their keepsake paintings with them as a reminder of the day. Offsite private paint parties start at $35 per painter for kids and $40 per painter for adults. Private events may be booked by either calling the studio or visiting our website https://www.bigpicltd.com/ Open sessions have a paint station capacity of 24 persons. Private Sessions can be booked for less persons based on availability.
“People have been intrigued by the concept, especially because it is ‘the new place to go” and “the new thing-to-do”. People have visited the studio and have had incredible times with their partners and friends and made new friends during the experience. There’s significant buzz on social media, particularly our Facebook page which had over 200 likes in the first day of launch. Many individuals and some groups have made reservations online for their friends. We continue to receive calls and email inquiries individuals wanting to book group events and to simply learn more about us and what we offer. Our painters have also been tagging us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to share their excitement and comments with others,” says Hepburn.
“We launched on April 7, 2016. Our website (www.bigpicltd.com) and social media accountshttps://www.facebook.com/Bigpictureltd/, Twitter and Instagram @bigpictureltd went live on April 11, 2016. We are on target, seeing lots of reservations being made and a lot of interest from those in the community.
Hepburn says that she looks forward to Big Picture Sip & Paint becoming a household name synonymous with painting, art and having a good time. “I feel that this Company will help people enjoy moments and make many more memories in the presence of great company and take life less seriously while exploring their creative side. We want our guests to always remember us as the place where they had a great experience, so we are actively working to constantly enhance the guest experience with Big Picture. In fact, we are planning several partnerships that will further accomplish this goal for us, and I am certain guests will appreciate! Currently, people are able to make reservations online, and in short order, we look forward to making the process even easier, by allowing our customers to complete the checkout with payment online. This will help our guests to ensure that their space is fully reserved in advance and shorten the check-in time giving them more time to paint, sip, mingle and relax. Stay tuned!”
For those looking to start their own business, Hepburn offers this piece of advice: “Dream big. Don’t be afraid to be innovative. Always have a plan. Do a lot of research. Take calculated risks. You can’t be afraid of hard work. Make it happen!”
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