Paint Night painting by April Hughes

October is the month of All Hallows Eve, and as such, I like to honor the spookiest month of the year by trying unique and spooky experiences. On October 4^th I attended an Intuitive Paint Night with psychic Angie Butler Welch at the picturesque Belfast Breeze Inn. The Belfast Breeze Inn is located in the coastal town of Belfast, Maine. The Inn, boasting lodge rooms, a lounge, and restaurant has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Upon entering the Inn’s foyer, I was kindly greeted and ushered to a moderately sized kitchen in the back where paint night guests were situated on each side of a long kitchen table. Prior to entering the kitchen, I noted the Victorian-like atmosphere of the common rooms, presumably the lounge. I found the clean, Victorian-era décor rather appropriate for an intuitive paint night led by a locally known psychic.

We were served gnocchi with a tomato sauce and a side of garlic bread, a dish of beets, and pesto to garnish our bread with. Glasses of ice water were also distributed. I was offered wine and I gladly accepted. The white wine was crisp, cold, and refreshing which paired nicely with the dish. The conversation was lively and I found that almost everyone was interested in learning how their paintings will reflect their lives, passions, and inner turmoil. Dinner concluded with an assortment of cheesecakes to choose from. I went with the classic plain cheesecake. Delicious!

Dinner was served from 5:30 to 6:00. At 6:00 we were kindly ushered to the restaurant part of the Inn where small, round tables were either pushed side-by-side to allow two tabletop easels, or left in a row for single easels. I quickly nabbed a spot located in the back where the window offered the best view of the ocean. My best friend, Catherine, quickly took the spot next to me and immediately launched into her skepticism of her personal skills with painting. You see, Catherine is a talented photographer, she has a way of capturing images with such clear, obvious mastery, however, tossing paint onto a blank canvas in not included in her arsenal of talents. I was quick to agree, both on her behalf and mine. If we were going to botch the image of a raven sitting on a branch in moonlight, we were going to do it together.

After taking a steadying sip of wine (which I pushed far from my easel as I have, in the past, nearly swirled my paintbrush in my wine thinking it was the water cup), I swirled my paintbrush into the black and white acrylic paint to produce a dove gray. Angie, the paint instructor and psychic, assured us in the beginning that her painting example did not have to be followed closely. We were encouraged to use the colors we wished to use as these will help her gauge what we are spiritually receiving from within ourselves and beyond. As I gazed around me, I noticed people throwing bright reds and oranges around their moons, even some greens, blues, and purples. Within this kaleidoscope of color, I looked down at my own palette. I had the ominous tons of white, gray, black, and dark brown.

Gazing at my blank canvas, I slowly set my paintbrush against its stark surface and began creating my night sky. The moon was a light gray, so light that it was nearly white, but as I moved my brush towards the edges it quickly darkened from a sooty gray to a compelling ebony. To my right, Catherine shot questions off to the instructor, her desire to create the image as instructed was evident, her anxiety at possibly failing was also clear. However, as I gazed at her painting, I couldn’t help but admire the bold tones of yellow and purple. Her painting was as bold and stark as her personality. I loved it.

In the end, my painting was dark and mysterious. I had added a single red-toned leaf on the branch my black raven perched upon. Angie sauntered over and gazed closely at my painting. While I saw an Edgar Allen Poe-ish feel picture, Angie saw something different. According to Angie the single red leaf was a reminder to hold on to my passions, and the colors were protections. My raven represented a need to have time for myself and to focus on my own needs. This I could understand. It can be trying at times being a mother to two young children, a wife, a friend, and try to maintain a full-time job and attend classes (I’m currently in a Master’s program), as well as maintain my household. Finding time to myself can be difficult.

At the end of the evening we stood as a group to take a photo, which Angie has displayed on her Facebook page. As I stared at that photo I was interested how a group of people could interpret a single photo in a myriad of different ways. It just goes to show how unique everyone is, and how different their lives are. We all have different passions, trials, and tribulations. We’re all fighting our own battles, finding ways around our own hurdles, and celebrating our own successes and victories.

The Intuitive Paint Night with Angie Butler Welch was an experience success. It was decently priced at 35.00 which included the paint night, reading, and dinner and dessert (wine was additional). If you’re looking for a unique experience in a warm and welcoming locale with a wicked good price, I highly suggest checking out the Belfast Breeze Inn website and Facebook page today and make an Intuitive Paint Night reservation!