A typical Hamilton student would have been scanning their email for any events when a certain invite popped up: Thursday at 7:00 p.m. “Chill vibes at Bundy while we listen to some music, drink some mocktails, and paint whatever makes your heart happy 🙂 Supplies and food on our end, just bring some friends!” Whoever wrote this email knew that a few key words could draw any student down that treacherous hill for a night to remember. Most notably “chill,” “music,” “drink,” “paint” and “happy” are buzzwords that would catch anyone looking for a moment of rest. As the sun fell on Hamilton’s campus, a select few trudged down the hill to Bundy Café for a night of painting and even more exciting sipping. Paint ‘n Sip gathered the campus’ artists, activity junkies and Bundy residents and allowed them to sit for a minute and just paint.
Even though there were high expectations from such an email, the event organizers truly came through. As students walked into the space, all the supplies were in front: canvases, paints of all different colors and brushes. Amongst the stress of midterms, general work and everything else on a college campus, a night of painting can be a simple relaxation that utilizes artistic abilities that may not have seen the light in a while. With the tables set up, the students settled into a rhythm of indistinct chatter as their canvases filled with patterns and pictures galore. The air in the room felt calming as if everyone had commenced a group meditation, and the stresses of the day melted away into the canvases at hand. On the couches sat the RA’s on duty, but even they could not resist the activities of the night and, slowly but surely, they joined a table of their own and found themselves also immersed in paint and canvases.
Although these students could probably have used a real drink, they were thoughtfully provided with local culture in the form of Saranac mocktails. With Shirley temples, black cherry and orange cream soda, it felt like a personal open bar, and the boxes quickly emptied out. Even further, knowing the true motivations of Hamilton students on campus, the event was sponsored by Wingstop. On the far wall, the table housed a variety of wings from ranging heats, and all the sides expected: corn, rolls, celery and carrots. Images of Commons and McEwen were quickly dispelled and replaced by the reality of free takeout food. While wings may not be the natural pairing to a rather classy night of cocktails (mock, of course) and painting, there were no complaints from the crowd. The lucky students filled their plates with everything above, making careful note to separate the food from the art. Once hands had been covered in barbecue sauce and every other delicious food, the group switched to the paintbrushes at hand instead. Mixing palettes allowed students to tap into their true inner artistry, combining their own paint colors and creating the masterpiece of their dreams.
Looking around, the canvases boasted everything from renditions of impressionistic art to sunsets, and patterns that could be on a school poster. The paint and sip turned out to be an exceptional activity because afterwards students could put their masterpieces in their room or on the Bundy walls. This event was perfect for those who never had time to re-tape last year’s posters or have not gotten around to pillaging the pages of Redbubble. Sometimes DIY is the best way to decorate, and hopefully, Bundy’s walls are now covered in the bright colors and calming pictures of the night’s activities.
