Staff Writer
David Durrett calls his business a type of “art salon.”
The majority of people who see the concept behind Yes You Canvas! simply call it fun.
Wildly successful in Southeastern cities such as Birmingham and New Orleans, the business of relaxed, group-painting sessions in a commercial setting wasn’t an entertainment option in the area until Durrett opened the Lakewood-area business around nine months ago. Durrett has always been an artist, but spent much of his career in the marketing field until he decided to try his hand at his own business.
“I saw how popular it was with my own eyes,” said Durrett, regarding his travels, “and I realized we didn’t have anything like that in Jacksonville.”
The concept revolves around people — individuals, couples, groups, businesses, anyone — from all different artistic levels finding their inner artist by signing up to paint a predetermined picture in Durrett’s studio. Pictures vary daily in terms of style and difficulty, with Durrett providing all the materials painters will need.
From there, Durrett leads the class as they paint — he paints alongside them, too — for the two-plus hours it takes, all the while painters can converse and even uncork a bottle of wine.
Since opening, one of the hardest things to do has been to help people find a comfort curve with the service. When informed of the business and its entertainment, said Durrett, some people believe they’re not artistic enough to participate.
“It’s not about art class,” explained Durrett, “it’s about relaxation. It’s a form of stress relief, really. It’s like going to the movies.”
Unlike the ticket stub people walk out of a movie with, though, the artists who walk out of Yes You Canvas! take their art home with them — and those who had doubts coming in tend to be the ones most surprised.
“They’re the ones with the biggest smiles on their faces,” said Durrett. “They didn’t expect the results they had and they say things like ‘Wow, I actually made this.’ It cuts through all demographics.”
Altogether, the sessions cost around $35 Thursday-Saturday for the longer sessions and $25 Monday-Wednesday for the shorter ones.
Durrett can host more than 30 people per session in his commercial studio and he’s looking to show local businesses the sessions at Yes You Canvas! can be good for the office, too.
“It’s an awesome team-building exercise,” he said. “From managers to the newest employee, coming in and taking part is both an individual and team exercise ... you can learn a lot.”
Along with the word-of-mouth tales, social media has been a vital aspect of Durrett marketing his business. He claims he couldn’t have established and continued the business without Web sites such as Facebook, where people often post their art and talk about the experience.
Unlike similar businesses in other regions that have names that encourage the wine aspect of the business, Durrett’s naming of Yes You Canvas! was deliberate as he wanted to appeal to families, too. He hosts children’s classes most Saturdays and often during the summer months when parents are looking for something their homebound children can take part in.
“They’ve really been a lot of fun and you’d be surprised how good some of them actually are,” said Durrett.
While timing is everything, Durrett said beginning the business in a slumping economy didn’t deter him. He sees the potential of it succeeding on the next level and welcomes the idea of a partner who is as enthusiastic about the concept as he is, he said.
“I really see the potential of this going forward,” he said. “Feedback has been great ... it’s just a matter of letting people know we’re here and what we are.”
For those curious about trying it, Durrett encourages people to view his Web site, www.yesyoucanvas.com., to peruse the schedule of pictures and find one to their liking, then calling ahead or reserving a spot. Gift certificates are also available to those who think someone they know might enjoy the experience.
“We all have an artist inside of us,” said Durrett. “It’s just a matter of finding it.”
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