The Mrs. and I took a trip over to the Orlando Brewing for this month’s Date Night in the Nonahood. They had an event there that is hosted by the Dirty Pour Project, which was an amazing experience. This was my second time doing a “Paint and Sip” class, but my first time ever working with what is termed to be “Fluid Painting.”

The price of the class was $50 per ticket, and this included a professional (and very kind) instructor, all of the paint, the canvas (or coasters like we chose to do), and all of the other materials needed. We were joined by another couple and a few other “classmates,” so it’s a very small and cozy class. We were then walked through the process of creating the fluid art pieces. 

The process was fairly simple. First, you pick your colors of acrylic paint. For the coasters, the recommended maximum was four colors; the canvas can have as many as you desire. Second, the chosen colors are then mixed with a pouring medium and stirred thoroughly. Some water was used as well to get the right consistency. “The secret is in the sauce” is what they say! Tip: You may not need to use so much of the pouring medium if the acrylic paint is already liquid. 

Third, after having all of our paints ready, we prepared our coasters (or canvas). They were suspended off of our tray using the paint bottle lids, which I thought was a nifty, innovative idea to reuse and recycle. Now, we were ready to get pouring! 

Begin combining your colors into one single “pour cup,” starting with your base color and pouring in the following right into the middle. Then we flipped our coasters upside down over the cup. While holding with pressure, they were flipped back around so the cup was upside down, and then the pour cup was lifted. What an amazing thing to experience! I’m completely blown away with the results of our paintings because I personally never thought I could create something like this. I knew my wife could; she’s very good at these artsy-fartsy things. 

It’s no surprise that I am a big fan of beer, and Orlando Brewing has all of the beer to satisfy! The tickets for the class also offered “Happy Hour Pricing,” so naturally we arrived a bit early. I couldn’t make up my mind on which to try, so I went with a customized flight. And then another. … They have some really tasty brews! 

Another great event going on, that we didn’t even know about, was the live “Old Folk Band” that played considerably the best folk music I’ve ever heard. Orlando Brewing also offers a free tour of the brewery on a weekly basis, except for Sundays. Since we went on a Sunday, we weren’t able to take a tour ourselves, but it’s going on the list! 
I’m not at all crafty or artistic when it comes to painting or drawing, believe me, but fluid painting is a whole different ball game. It was an amazing experience, and a great time along with great beers. I would definitely recommend to check out the Dirty Pour Project to find where you can take the next class because it’s something you don’t want to miss out on. I know I’ll be looking to go on this Dirty Pour Party again! You can find some more information on their website at www.DirtyPourProject.com.