A fun way to spend an evening

Dear Editor:

Nevada is a town of many surprises. One very pleasant surprise I experienced a few Monday nights ago was Mike Conway's "Paint & Pour" class. For a nominal fee each, I, and four of my friends, spent more than two hours letting loose our creative talents on the canvas and with the plethora of acrylic paints and paint brushes Mike provided.

Candice Moore transformed a photograph of her husband Ted into a stunning portrait, while Nancy Ross, Robbie Vokoun, and Vickie Briscoe created strikingly beautiful flowers on their canvases. Having lived with a myriad of cats for the last 35 years, I had cats on the brain and painted an imaginary "Crazy Kitty."

Mike was an amazing art instructor who provided pictures to use as inspiration and guides for painting newbies, which four of us were. He was careful to let us experiment with our paints and brushes, and provided expert assistance when we needed it. He kept telling us, "You can't make a mistake" because we could use the white paint to cover up any artistic regrets. If that didn't ease our anxiety, we could always have another sip of the wine we brought to class. How great was that?

In the two years I've lived in Nevada, I'm constantly amazed at the number of friendly, interesting, and talented people I've met here. With a little effort and curiosity, I've ventured out of my comfort zone with increasing frequency to experience the best thing about Nevada: getting to know its citizens. I have a feeling I've only scratched the surface in this adventure.

Sincerely

Deborah Patrick