Art – The Southern Curious Itinerant Blog

My teenage niece, Sunshine loves the arts. She is super talented at sketching and loves comics. This past year I took her to an open studio in The Columbia Vista, Studio Cellar and we both fell in love. They offer classes, private events and open public studio times. For open studio times you simply pop in, pick the size of canvas you would like to paint and pay one price. They have all of the supplies set up for you and ready to go. The best part is the folks that work there. Their backgrounds and interests vary but all of them are knowledgeable about basic painting skills and are willing to guide you through the process.

I will admit that the first stroke is intimedating. If you are like me, not an artist, it’s difficult to determine where to begin. The studio has tons of sample work and once you get started it is super fun.

Sunshine and I made it a priority to visit the studio once a quarter starting in January of 2019 and we had a great time paining our way through the seasons. The staff’s tips and tricks helped us both improve as the time passed. Some of our sessions lasted for hours, we just couldn’t stop. They provide everything you need, you just have to show up with an idea. And even if you don’t have an idea there are tons of samples to take a look at and build off of. I will admit that most of my creations were combinations of pieces I saw in the studio and then I just sort of put them together.

Don’t hesitate to take one of their classes if that feels like a better starting place for you. I have taken classes with co-workers, hosted birthday parties with friends and have even taken my husband, Sugar, for a fun double date with another couple. Who cares what the weather looks like outside as it’s warm and cozy or super cool in the studio and their large windows makes it fun to Vista people watch while waiting on your paint to dry. Take your family and get creative. Support the ARTS! CREATE! Use your imagination.

https://www.studio-cellar.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw7uPqBRBlEiwAYDsr1zcCW0jNnREydPVyw6YOHYDG86qdqujNOzfHDgcd2l4ZelPgTerInxoCvxEQAvD_BwE

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, I thought I would tell you about the trip that Sugar and I took to Woodstock in March of 2019. Unlike the original Woodstock music festival that took place on a 600+ acre dairy farm in Bethel, New York, we visited the Town of Woodstock, Georgia.

Very sadly, my husbands Aunt Elaine, passed away and we were in town for the day to attend her funeral services at First Baptist Church, Woodstock. Now that is an impressive mega church. I had personally only spent a handful of times with Aunt Elaine but she became very important to me in a short amount of time and we were shocked at the sudden turn of events that left us grieving her loss. In fact, we had a road trip planned with her in April. The timing was just horrible.

After the beautiful celebration of her life the family gathered for lunch and then headed back home in many different directions. We decided to stick around and check out the town that Elaine called home, Woodstock, Georgia.

Driving through HOT Lanta isn’t so bad on a Saturday.

Woodstock is about 3o miles north of Atlanta and 240 miles west of Columbia, SC where we were traveling from. We were aware that we would have to travel through Atlanta traffic so were careful to plan the timing of our trip accordingly and surprisingly it wasn’t a terrible trip to make all in one day.

When we arrived in the town of Woodstock we were pleasantly surprised by our findings. Cute shops, rooftop restaurants and bars, an old record store, a spa, a brewery and so much enjoyable outdoor space. Since we’d just finished lunch with the family we were not able to try out any of the restaurants but they all looked great. The brewery was hopping with live music and families playing games outside. There’s a large amphitheater in a local park that we are sure features fantastic music. I was overwhelmed by the eclectic art exhibits all around town and how many people were just out and about enjoying the day, riding bikes and skateboards, walking around, sitting outside of cafes, there was even a lovely outdoor fireplace.

https://visitwoodstockga.com/ Their website refers to it as “a City unexpected” and I would agree that is the perfect slogan. If you are ever in the Atlanta area but want something off the beaten path, definitely give this town an opportunity. I found the cutest pieces of clothing to bring back and add to my wardrobe and after walking around for a bit we shared a piece of pie from a local shop before heading home. Our only regret is that Aunt Elaine was able to show us around her quaint town and we are certainly kicking ourselves for not visiting her before. Life is so very short.

This might not be the same historic Woodstock that you’ve heard of but it’s definitely a town worth getting to know. I hope this is an encouragement for you to fill the tank up with gas and take a road trip this weekend.