A New Year is Here

And that’s a wrap on 2022! In what feels like the blink of an eye, another year has slipped on by. We hope it’s been a kind year for you, and that you’re able to take some time to reset and ready yourself for the new year ahead. It’s been a huge year for Cork & Chroma and our team in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne: we’ve overcome the impact caused by floodwater as well as the ongoing repercussions of a global pandemic, launched new paint and sip initiatives and products, and celebrated thousands of milestones and events with guests in (and out of) our studios, including our own ninth birthday! It’s been a significant year, and after battling the seas of disaster at the beginning of the year we are now coasting off the Christmas high, ready to sail into a brand new year.

2022: A brief review

The February floods this year saw thousands of homes and commercial properties submerged in floodwater, including our Montague Road studio, which sits only a few hundred metres from the Brisbane river. When the water subsided enough for us to enter the studio, a muddy line showed where the water had swelled approximately 50 cm up the walls. The sight of the studio submerged in water—our fridges, speaker, and various painting equipment bobbing across the floor—is a vision we will never forget. 

Astoundingly, we were able to salvage much of our equipment and supplies. Our studio remained closed for two weeks while we scrubbed the remnants of mud away and replenished what was lost or damaged. Thankfully our second Brisbane studio in the heart of South Bank remained dry the whole time, so we were still able to paint and sip with our Brisbane guests, albeit at a reduced capacity. Truthfully, dealing with the impacts of floodwater was the last thing our company needed whilst still reeling from the aftermath of a pandemic; we empathise with all who were affected during this time, and can only hope that other businesses like ours were able to recover from this disaster.

Coming up in January

On Sunday, 15th January we’ll be popping up with Elmswood Estate in the Yarra Valley, Melbourne to bring you a fun afternoon of wine and art. Enjoy a wine tasting at Elmswood Estate’s beautiful Cellar Door, then paint the afternoon away to create your version of our ‘A Mediterranean Moment‘ painting as you sip on your favourite drop and nibble on a small selection of delicious cheeses. There is also the option to make a day of it and book into Elmswood’s popular High Tea on the High Deck to continue your wining and dining experience. It’s the ultimate painting and sipping day out!

We’ve got several family-friendly painting sessions lined up this school holidays in Brisbane to keep the little (and big) artists entertained. On Sunday 15th January we’re running an All Ages session, painting our sweet new ‘Wisteria Lane’ painting, which is a three hour session on our regular full-size canvases. For the littler painters with shorter attention spans, we’ll be running two Family Paint sessions on the 18th and 22nd of January; these sessions run for two hours, and we use smaller canvases. Our All Ages and Family Paint sessions are not BYO alcohol, but feel free to bring in your coffee or help yourself to a cuppa from our complimentary tea station, and settle in for a morning of memory-making with the fam.

2023 resolutions

In 2023, we resolve to continue bringing you the best paint and sip experience we know how. We believe that painting decreases stress and increases connection with ourself and others, and we aim to make creativity accessible and fun for everyone. Next year marks our 10th birthday; with every year of experience we learn new things that help us refine our offering, and next year is no different. On that note, if you have any suggestions of ways we can improve our offering, we’re all ears: please send us an email at paint@corkandchroma.com.au.

We’re excited about what’s in store for our tenth year of business. New offerings, new pop up locations, new paintings… it’s all coming in hot. Our team of Cork & Chroma artists are looking forward to the new year, too. Alison (pictured below), a self-proclaimed ‘newbie’ on the Cork & Chroma team, is excited to continue her journey with C&C into 2023, and for the upcoming paintings we have in store. She looks forward to flourishing amongst a creative environment, and continuing to nurture her creative side.

We can liken 2023 to a stretch of fresh white canvas, unmarked and full of possibility. What do you want to see in your new year? Close your eyes for a moment and imagine it: the colours you’d like to use, the pace and flow with which you sweep on the brushstrokes. As we pause for a moment, brush at the ready, remember that you are the artist of your new year, and you get to decide what the canvas looks like at the end of it. Trust the process as you go: it’s just as important as the outcome.

Paint and sip — that’s us for sure. But did you know? We’re so much more! 

Paint from our book, paint from a box, paint with your kit, paint in your jocks. 

Paint in cool merch. Paint with your team. Paint with your hens. Paint from our stream. 

All the options, no restraints. All you need to do is paint.