Event Recap: Paint. Sip. Enjoy!

Paint, Sip & ENJOYment Had By All
August 5^th IABC-LI Paint Night with Jan Guarino
By Laney Liner

On August 5, 2015, the Long Island International Association of Business Communicators hosted a paint night at Chris & Tony’s Restaurant in Syosset, NY. The purpose of the evening was to share a different form of communication with our members and guests – visual communication through watercolor painting.

Jan Guarino, Owner of Guarino Graphics and Art League Long Island Watercolor Instructor, demonstrated various techniques needed to create a realistic watercolor painting. She opened the class by teaching us about a wash – applying water to paper before applying color. The subject matter for the evening included Chinese lantern flowers with leaves in a vase. We used French paper and Italian watercolor paints.

When writing a story, there is a beginning, middle and an end. The same applies with painting – an idea needs to be formed and rendered (the beginning), then refined (the middle) and the final touches are added for completion (the end). In the three hours Jan spent with our group, she shared a variety of techniques that helped each person start and complete their own painting.

As with anything in life, it is important to communicate effectively to get one’s point across. In our class with Jan, she explained how to create the Chinese lantern flowers in several steps. This helped all levels of painters in the class including our very own President, Jerry Allocca, who looked like a pro despite this being his first painting ever.

At one point in the evening, Jan encouraged us to walk around the room to view each other’s work. This was a powerful part of the night as we were able to see how similar, yet how different each painting was – essentially different approaches using the same tools and techniques. One can equate this to the different voices people have when using the written word.

The evening also allowed for all attendees to get to know each other better. I learned that one of our members, Debra Scala-Giokas, Marketing Director at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, enjoys watercolor painting very much and previously took several classes to sharpen her skills.