Today we’d like to introduce you to Chani Friedman.
Chani, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always loved art as a child. My parents would send me to various art classes when I was younger- I was “that kid” who was always doodling in my notebooks during class. When I got older, I took on a job as an elementary school teacher and always found a way to bring art and creativity into the classroom. A few years ago, I started inviting my friends over to do free-style art and painting sessions at my home. Around the same time, my son was born and I made the choice to stop teaching and be a stay at home mom. Though I had stopped working, the “teacher in me” couldn’t rest and I started doing more painting events on a small scale. Soon enough, through word of mouth and social media, my very small business grew. We have grown exponentially and if not for the support of my husband and family, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing today. I love watching people paint and get super creative at my events. My tagline is “bringing out the artist in you” and I definitely see that, time and again, at my events. People leave with pride in their work, and a fun time is always had! I’m thankful that I’ve been able to blend my love for art and my love for teaching into one awesome passion that I call “The Paintery”.
Please tell us about your work.
I’m an art instructor and I do Paint Party Events, where I travel to the clients’ location of choice and instruct on a painting that they get to choose from my website. My hope is that when people walk away from my events, they feel inspired to paint on their own and come away with the feeling that they CAN paint and create. Very often I’ll have people walk into my events telling me there’s no chance they will be able to come away with a beautifully completed painting. And what ends up happening is they leave feeling quite surprised and happy with what they’ve created! My goal and hope are my tagline- “bringing out the artist in you” and I feel like that’s something I can continue to accomplish with the creative work that I’m doing. What makes me stand out from other paint party style businesses is my manner of instruction and the variety of styles that come about in the end results. I give a lot of room for creativity, where painters are encouraged to make the painting their own. I watch in fascination each time I do an event, at how different each painting comes out. More recently, many people quarantining at home are looking for creative ways to socialize with others and find their inner artist. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been lucky to paint with people virtually across the United States, and even some international painters in Mexico, South Africa, and London, with many more virtual events scheduled in the coming months.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
In this rapidly changing world, with so much unknown, I plan to take my business virtually, as a long term goal. And, when things do get back to a new normal, I will resume traveling while having virtual events as an additional option.
Contact Info:
- Website: ThePaintery.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @thepaintery_com
Image Credit:
Me and my husband
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
