Event at Sacred Heart Parish Hall in Chazy drew a big crowd
By ANGELA LINCE Special to the Press-Republican
April 18, 2016
CHAZY — Blank canvases lined the tables in Sacred Heart Parish Hall, where novice artists prepared to paint.
The theme at the recent Paint ‘n’ Sip there was “Sunsets and Silhouettes.”
Sponsored by Gals of Sacred Heart, the trendy event raised funds for the church.
Two paintings by instructor Jessie Furnia served as models, with participants following her instructions to replicate one or the other with their own flare.
Janice Bourgeois, first-grade religion teacher at Sacred Heart, was a newcomer to the artistic activity.
“I’ve always liked painting,” she said, “(but) I never was one to follow directions well, so that’s why I thought I would enjoy it because you can change it a little so it’s your own.”
BIT THE BULLET
The price for Paint ‘n’ Sip included all the art supplies and snacks, and the intent was to let the artists relax and listen to Furnia, who gave each step of the process.
While often wine is the beverage provided for such an activity, at Sacred Heart, they sipped soda.
Tunes like “Wish You Were Here,” by Pink Floyd and “Mrs. Robinson,” by Simon and Garfunkel provided background music as the artists brushed colors onto the canvases.
This was the first Paint ‘n’ Sip event attended by Theresa Kempisty of Cumberland Head. She discovered the event by a friend posting it to Facebook.
“I was really fretting this because I have zero artistic ability,” Kempisty said.
But, she said, she “finally bit the bullet” and knows there will be another Paint ‘n’ Sip in her nearby future.
‘SUPERHERO’
Furnia has been an art-therapy lover since high school, but what really triggered art becoming on outlet for her was her mother’s diagnosis with breast cancer.
Although this was a sad time in Furnia’s life, she knew that to feel happiness was to give to the public.
Furnia gets positive feedback from her Paint ‘n’ Sip clients often.
“I am their peace for the month,” she said.
“I have a little boy who comes here all the time with his mom, and his mom uses that as his reward.
“To him, I’m his ‘Mrs. Jessie,’” Furnia said, adding, “I am a superhero to him.”
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