Sipping wine, savoring snacks and self-expression are readily accessible at an art entertainment studio off Belair Road. At Bites and Brushes, everyone is an artist.
Constance Johnson-Holmes has been painting, drawing and playing music most of her life. While working as a dental assistant she got involved in the art entertainment industry, commonly referred to as “sip and paint,” in which studios host art classes offering wine and snacks. She was working with one company specializing in sip and paint events when she was inspired to start her own.
“I noticed within the sip and paint industry there weren’t a lot of companies that were making images of people that look like us,” said Constance Johnson-Holmes, who is black. “I saw that there was a void that needed to be filled, so I decided I’d fill it.”
In 2014, she started her own sip and paint business, Bites and Brushes, by going to restaurants to host events until she eventually opened her own studio. She now runs a studio on Belair Frontage Road with her husband Michael Holmes, who initially felt he was not artistically inclined himself.
“I’m not a painter,” said Michael Holmes. “And now I teach classes.”
Bites and Brushes offers a welcoming atmosphere crafted to foster community, encourage creativity, and of course just have fun. Paintings are named after songs and song lyrics. Constance Johnson-Holmes offers customers free miniature bags of Skittles in honor of Trayvon Martin. There is a painting based on Erykah Badu’s song “Bag Lady,” where amateur painters are encouraged to write down their personal baggage and paint over it.
The sip and paint aspect of the business usually entails parties where customers bring their own alcohol or soft drinks along with snacks, though Constance Johnson-Holmes aims to partner with vendors to have food available. One such gathering at Bites and Brushes is $25 Tuesday, a version of its Sip, Snack and Paint classes.
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Most of the events offered are catered to adults, though children’s classes are offered. Many classes also have musically themed nights. The two most popular offerings are Paint Your Pet parties, and Trap Music Night, in which customer enjoy painting with trap rap music providing a unique ambience.
“People love their dogs, and they love trap music,” said Constance Johnson-Holmes.
Constance Johnson-Holmes notes that the Trap Music Night is a prime example of the studio attracting a clientele that might not usually be inclined to go to an art party.
Some of the art created at Bites and Brushes. Photo by Skyler Q. Andrews Some of the art created at Bites and Brushes. Photo by Skyler Q. Andrews
“Most of our customers say, ‘I can’t paint,’ or ‘I’m not creative,’” said Michael Holmes. “When people leave this place, their faces are lit up; they’re proud of what they did.”
The COVID-19 pandemic goaded the Holmes to also further the e-commerce facet of the enterprise. They now offer art kits for order, including kits with written or video instructions or paint-by-numbers packages, so that customers can have their own at-home paint and sip experience.
Inspiring people towards creative experimentation, regardless of their perceived skill-level, anxieties or degree of exposure to the arts is paramount for Bites and Brushes.
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“Where a lot of people they think they fail in art is that it’s not really failure,” said Constance Johnson-Holmes. “They just haven’t failed enough to get good.”
Bites and Brushes is place for people to enjoy art, and Constance Johnson-Holmes is grateful that her own pieces on display draw people in. But it’s also a place for people connect to those pieces, relate to them and develop the confidence to conjure their own. Ultimately, Bites and Brushes is a place for people to have an artistic experience, whether they ever though they could or not.
“For me it’s watching people light up. It’s a good feeling,” said Constance Johnson-Holmes. “We want to share the joy of art with everybody. No, everybody can’t be Picasso, but everybody can paint a pretty picture that they’re proud of when they go home.”
Bites and Brushes is on 4290 Belair Frontage Road, Suite A. For more information on its classes, parties and many other events visit its website at www.bitesandbrushes.net and its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/bitesandbrushes.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
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