DIY Paint & Sip: Art, Churros & Community

5 days ago

3 min read

From Digital Design to Handmade Art: A Paint & Sip at Buhnz

Orange Dia de los Muertos paint-and-sip flyer with skull art, Oct. 24 at 5pm, Buhnz, Wood Village location. — Paint & Sip Event

Building community, supporting local artists, and bringing creativity to Wood Village.

What happens when you bring art, good food, and community together? You create an experience that goes beyond a typical night out!

I recently had the opportunity to be an invited artist at Buhnz, a restaurant serving hot dogs and burgers, for a Paint & Sip workshop. It was exciting to bring a hands-on creative experience to a space outside of Portland and connect with people through art, conversation, and a little bit of fun.

Canvas and skull decor
Buhnz painting setup

One of the first things I appreciated about Buhnz was the space itself. All 16 participants were able to sit comfortably, spread out their materials, and enjoy the workshop together. A welcoming space makes a difference when you're bringing people together to try something new.

Guest Paint & Sip Event Painting
Guest Paint & Sip Event painting
Guest Paint & Sip Event

Participants enjoyed a complimentary drink and churros as part of the experience, adding a little sweetness to an evening filled with creativity.

Thank you video from Me!

Sold Out Event Video

Behind the Scenes (Event Video)

More Pictures

For Buhnz, hosting an art workshop was an opportunity to explore something new, welcome people into their restaurant, and connect with the local community in a different way. For me, it was a chance to share my art, meet new people, and help bring creative opportunities to Wood Village.

That's what I love about collaboration: when everyone brings something to the table, we can create a win-win experience. Help Support Buhnz — Leave a Yelp Review! ⭐ Enjoyed your visit to Buhnz or attended one of their creative workshops? Take a moment to leave an honest review on Yelp! Your feedback helps a local business build visibility, reach new customers, and continue creating welcoming experiences for the Wood Village community. Every review makes a difference, so don't forget to share your experience and spread the word!

Bringing My xTool M2 Into the Workshop

As a mixed-media artist, I'm always exploring ways to combine technology with hands-on art. For this workshop, I put my xTool M2 to work in ways that made preparing for 16 participants much easier.

Yes, you heard that right — I used my xTool M2 to print on canvas!

I prepared 16 canvas pieces featuring a skeleton design for participants to paint. Having the design ready on each canvas gave everyone a starting point while still leaving plenty of room for their own creativity. Since we were working with a skeleton design, I guided participants through painting the base black and then helped them follow the lines and details of the design. This step-by-step approach made the activity approachable, even for those who didn't consider themselves artists.

Xtool Printing on Canvas
Xtool Painting on wood coins
JCD Clipart of Coin

I also used my xTool M2 to create custom coins by printing and cutting them out as souvenirs for participants to take home. These little keepsakes added a personal touch to the workshop and gave everyone something to remember the experience.

For me, that's one of the exciting things about combining technology with traditional artmaking. The technology helps me prepare and customize materials, but the creativity, instruction, and shared experience are still very much human.

Coin Video

More Pictures

Adobe Express: From Ideas to Workshop Materials

Behind every successful workshop is preparation. Before the event, I used Adobe Express to create flyers and promotional materials to help spread the word.

I also designed custom clip art for the coins and put together workshop instructions. Adobe Express made it easy to develop these pieces without adding unnecessary complications to my already busy schedule.

I appreciate being able to work on designs on the go, make quick adjustments, and create materials that feel connected to the overall experience.

For artists and small creative businesses, tools like Adobe Express can help us spend less time struggling with promotional materials and more time focusing on the art itself.

My workflow for this workshop brought together three important pieces:

Adobe Express: Designing flyers, promotional pieces, clip art, and instructions.
xTool M2: Preparing the canvas designs (by printing on top) and creating custom souvenir coins.
Hands-on art instruction: Guiding participants through the painting process and creating an enjoyable, welcoming experience.