Our recent Paint n’ Sip night at the Terra Cotta Community Centre was a relaxed and inspiring evening spent with a mix of longtime neighbours and some new local faces. With paintbrushes in hand and refreshments flowing, the room quickly filled with laughter, conversation, and creative energy.

Led by local artist Stephanie Schirm, the evening went far beyond a typical beginner paint class. Rather than sticking to something simple or predictable, Stephanie guided us through recreating a Group of Seven–inspired landscape, introducing real artistic techniques along the way.

"Rapids on Magnetawan" By A.J. Casson

She taught us how to think about shadow and light, how to suggest texture and movement, and how small changes can completely shift the feel of a piece.

There were plenty of laughs as we joked about our “bad” painting skills—only to step back at the end of the night and realize that what we’d created was actually… really great. It was a perfect reminder that sometimes it’s all about perspective.

A huge thank you to Stephanie for sharing her talent and passion with our community. Stephanie is a local artist with a studio in Glen Williams, be sure to check out her work at stephanieschirm.com.

We loved every minute of this laid-back, creative night and can’t wait to host more events like it at the TCCC.