FAQ
What is your return policy? LATE/CANCELLATION POLICY: Classes will begin promptly at the scheduled time. Please allow for traffic and parking and arrive no later than 15 minutes prior to your scheduled event. Due to past experiences of late arrivals and disruptions to the rest of the class, arrival later than 15 minutes past the scheduled start time will result in the nonrefundable forfeit of your seat. Please respect the time of our instructors and other students, and understand that classes are built around a time window. A minimum of 48 hours notice of cancellation or rescheduling is required to receive a credit toward a future class of your choice. Without proper advance notice, no credits will be granted. Gift certificates are non-refundable, and cannot be redeemed for any cash value. Thank your for interest in Wine Paint & Create. Below are general questions that have come up in the past. For more specific questions about individual locations, please visit that Locations page. What is the fee to come to a class? The price is $35 for our standard session. Other, special classes, will have different fees, but will be shown on our Website for you to see. How early should I arrive? Most people come 15 to 20 minutes prior to class time, so come early and claim your seat. Meet your neighbor and pour yourself a beverage of your choice. What happens at a class? Everyone arrives and finds a seat at his or her own easel. Your brushes, canvas, and paint palette will be ready for you. Our artist will take you step-by-step through every stroke…and you leave with your own painting! What if I can’t paint? What if I’m not artistic? Painting is a FUN thing to do. There is no “right” or “wrong” way for your painting to turn out. The teacher/artist will guide the group through basic strokes, knowing that most of you are new to the experience of painting on canvas. There are some common mistakes people make that we will be careful to ensure you avoid. The key is being RELAXED and not too focused on the details. In fact, the freer your attitude, the more “detail” people will see in your art! Can we bring wine? Yes. Really, wine or beer are a popular part of the “relaxed painting atmosphere…we don’t serve, but we provide cups and openers. Of course, you must be 21 years old to consume any alcoholic beverage on our premises. How do I sign up for an event? Go to our calendar page and click on the image of the painting you would like to paint, on the date and at the time you want to paint it. You will be taken to an online shopping cart where you will complete your reservation. If the event shows Sold Out, keep checking back as people have reasons for changing and seats do open up. Or, choose another painting and come on out and join us for the fun. What payment forms do you accept? Our online system allows us to accept all major credit cards including VISA, MasterCard, AMEX, Discover & Debit Cards. Cash only is accepted at the door. Is my information safe? Completely. Check our Privacy Section for Details. Do you offer gift certificates? Yes! Gift Certificates to Wine,Paint & Create are unique and thoughtful gifts for any occasion. You may purchase them at our corporate office for a single $35 class or any other dollar amount you choose. What if someone I know doesn’t have internet? You are welcome to register online for yourself and anyone else, or we do accept onsite payment for unreserved seats 30 minutes before each class on a first-come, first-served basis. On days we are holding a 6:30 p.m. class, you may come to our location between 5:30 and 6:00 to register and pay for any upcoming class. Cash Only. Call location of your choice for more information or to confirm your class. When do you post the next monthly calendar? We try to post the next month’s calendar by the 15th of the month. We begin planning our future calendars early, so if you missed a previous painting, please let us know and we’ll be happy to schedule it again. Also, after the calendar is posted, you may request to change a painting on the date of your choice. If no one has registered for that class, we will do our best to accommodate you. Once anyone has registered for a class, however, that painting is “locked in” and will not be changed. Keep in mind, private parties (15 or more) may choose any painting from our gallery (which is adding new paintings regularly). Can I register by phone??? You are welcome to check for availability by calling the location of your choice, but reservations may only be made online or by visiting our location. You may come in 30 minutes before any class to register for an available seat, but you risk encountering a full, canceled, or changed class if you don’t call first. How do I cancel a reservation? You may call or email us at the individual locations for reservations or questions. We will quickly issue the appropriate credit. Check our Refund Policy section. When are your classes held??? Check our calendar for schedule and availability. What should I wear?? Wear anything comfortable…you may get a little paint on you, but we will have aprons available. Be aware that acrylic paint will not wash out once it has dried. Will my painting be dry by the end of the night? We always paint with drying time in mind, but you can use one of our provided hair dryers to take care of any remaining damp areas. What size is the canvas? We always use 16” x 20” stretched canvases. You may choose to paint the sides for a more finished look, or leave the sides unpainted to have it framed. Are there age requirements? Just as classroom activities and teaching styles are tailored to be age-appropriate, our paintings are designed to be fun projects for individuals ages 15 and up. The after-hours atmosphere of our evening classes is most appropriate for participants of at least that age. Teens with a mature attitude are not expressly discouraged from attending, but anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a registered adult. Think of it as an R rated film. (You must be at least 21 years of age or older to bring or consume alcoholic beverages.) Participation by children ages 12 and under is most successful when the entire group is of a similar age, as in a classroom, and private children’s parties with age-appropriate subject matter and pacing are an excellent option for pre-teens. We also offer paintings geared toward a younger crowd during most of our weekend afternoon sessions. What about groups? Reservations may be made by one individual for as many seats as are remaining in any event, but payment is to be made for all seats at that time. The other alternative is to have each member of your group register individually, but we cannot guarantee availability in that situation. You may also request a private party (see that question, below). What about private parties? We welcome all groups for private event parties. Here are the details:
What about children’s parties? We welcome children’s parties! Here are the details:
Can I paint something other than what everyone else is painting? This one is tricky; it’s only come up a couple of times, but it’s something we need to address, and the short answer is “no.” Everyone is encouraged to be as original as you like…different, different composition, different design elements…whatever you want to do to express your own originality. In fact, we pride ourselves on being the most progressive paint-along studio in that respect. Look through our “class pictures” and you can see example of how some of our painters have chosen to express their individuality. But…everyone has to follow along so that we’re progressing as a group. For example, if you want to paint a landscape while we’re all painting a wine bottle, something happens that affects the experience for everyone. This is especially true if more than one person ignores the instruction. It’s happened a couple of times, and it’s been a tough lesson: you’ll have side conversations that distract the group; you’ll finish early and get stuck waiting for your ride to finish; you’ll get frustrated that the instructor can’t work with you; and you’re likely to begin regretting that you didn’t join the rest of us. There is also, frankly, an increased risk that alienation—from friends and from the rest of the group—will lead to irresponsible alcohol consumption. Even if you promise to keep to yourself, your friends will be awkward and feel obliged to humor you by directing their attention your way. This mainly happens when someone invites a group to paint but doesn’t explain to their guests what Wine,Paint & Create is all about. Please be sure your guests are willing participants and realize the evening celebrates originality but requires the group to interact together toward the common goal. We’ve only had this problem a couple of times, but now we’re having to formalize the requirement that you participate in the spirit of the concept and not separate yourself from our shared experience. It’s not about stifling you, it’s about respecting the experience of everyone else in the studio. Remember: we’re not talking about making your painting look distinct and original—this is only about painting a completely different subject that has no relation whatsoever with the step-by-step process we’re all following. Can I be one of your instructors? We are always looking for new and exciting artwork and instructors. Drop us an email at winepaintcreate@gmail.com and we’ll keep your name on file! Do you have a minimum number of people required to hold a class? Ten people is our minimum. If fewer have signed up for a night’s painting, we will call you by 2:00 p.m. to reschedule. I went back to your calendar and the paintings changed! Why? Our calendar is a “living” document that may be changed at any time for a variety of reasons. One thing is certain…as soon as anyone signs up for a painting, it is “locked in” and will not change. So don’t worry that you will be signing up for a painting and have it changed after you’ve signed up. So if you like a painting, sign up for it! There are a few reasons we might change a painting on a night no one has signed up:
Can I just “walk in”? Walk-in registrants are welcome, but we strongly prefer that you register online beforehand. It saves a lot of time when we are able to just “take roll” rather than engage in transactions before the class. In addition, if you don’t sign up, you are running a few risks:
We strongly recommend that if you plan to “walk in” that you call us at 910-223-0589 so we can confirm the event with you and be sure there’s a place set up for you. We accept cash only at the door. NOTICE THE EXCESSIVE USE OF ALCOHOL IS NOT PERMISSABLE IN THIS BUSINESS. CUSTOMERS WILL BE REQUESTED TO DISCONTINUE USE WHEN STAFF THINKS IT PROPER FOR THEM TO DO SO. NO ONE UNDER THE AGE OF 21 IS ALLOWED TO CONSUME ALCOHOL AT THIS BUSINESS. IDENTIFICATION IS REQUIRED OF EVERYONE SHOWING THEM TO BE BE 21 YEARS OR OLDER. WE WILL BE HAPPY TO ARRANGE TRANSPORTATION FOR THOSE REQUESTING IT OR FOR THOSE THE STAFF THINKS MAY NEED IT.
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