Local Spotlight Cars, Celtic Spirit and Canvases

By Samantha Husted
sam@coastalbreezenews.com

The Spirited Painter is Marco Island’s one and only guided paint studio that allows guests to bring their own wine, beer, soda, water and munchies. The studio follows the philosophy that painting is just a little more fun, and definitely less stressful, when it’s accompanied by a glass of wine. Each night a local artist leads participants on a journey of creativity and fun as they make their very own masterpieces.

“We wanted to bring something different and fun to the Island,” said co-owner Cathy Gorman. “Our local talented artists provide step-by-step instruction, while we provide the canvases, smocks, paint, brushes and anything else necessary.”

The Gorman family moved to Marco Island 23 years ago. You may know them from Gorman’s Auto Service. In

2009 Cathy Gorman’s daughters, Catherine and Claire, made the entrepreneurial jump and opened the Celtic Spirit School of Irish Dance, something they’re both very passionate about. This past August the dance studio where Celtic Spirit had been practicing closed. So, being the business-minded sisters that they are, Catherine and Claire decided to rent out a space in Post Plaza, by restaurant Hoots, to continue Irish dancing. But they were only using the studio for about three hours out of the week for classes. The question then became, what to do with the space when it wasn’t being used for dance? Then the idea struck, a studio where you could drink and paint! And with the help of their parents, Tim and Cathy, the Spirited Painter was born.

“Marco Island is such a special place,” said Catherine. “We really wanted our paintings to reflect Marco’s fun and relaxing style. When you visit the Spirited Painter you could be painting a seahorse, a sunset by the bridge, a friendly pelican, or even the Marco Cat!”

Something that sets the Spirited Painter apart from other franchised studios is its freedom of expression. Unlike corporate studios, instructors and participants at the Spirited Painter can create their art in any way they see fit. They can add shells to paintings, rhinestones, or other bling to create a 3-D effect. They can even use metallic or sparkly paint to change textures. Local instructors are not bound to any strict guidelines, allowing them to fully express their

creativity with guests. “The best part is seeing where people’s imaginations take them,” said Cathy.

“All we need is our guests to have a mindset that they can do this,” said Cathy. “Most people believe that they can’t paint and certainly won’t get a painting finished in two hours, but they can and they will!” She added, “It just gives you such a sense of accomplishment when you see your completed picture.”

The Spirited Painter hosts Paintshops almost every night of the week. The studio is also available for special events such as birthdays or bridal showers. And it’s not just for adults either. Periodically the studio hosts Kidshops for artists ages eight to 16.

For more information on how to register, check out their website at: www.spiritedpaintermarco.com, or call: 239-313-0012.