The painting of the snowman found a new home with Frankfort resident Dalia Sawicki.
“I love it,” she said. “It’s something I’ll definitely put this up in my house.”
Sawicki was one of 15 people on hand the evening of Jan. 11 painting at the Mokena Community Public Library’s Sips and Smocks Painting Party.
Painting parties are all the rage these days, and the Mokena Community Public Library hosts one for adults, young adults and children.
“We started this several months back, and we try to host them every other month for adults,” said Tracy Domalski, officer manager of adult education programming for Mokena Community Public Library. “They’re very popular.”
Patrons enjoyed sips of tea, juice and coffee during the event.
“It’s a nice night out for friends,” Domalski said. “We have moms who will come out for an evening of fun and relaxation.”
Sawicki agreed.
“It’s a lot of fun,” she said.
The painting party at the library served as a first for Sawicki. She dropped in for the event after one of her colleagues told her about it.
“It’s a wide variety of people,” she said, referring to the turnout.
Sawicki said she enjoyed the event so much she plans to sit in on another.
“I tried to make it challenging yet fun,” said Jill Tridgell, who led the instruction of the painting party. “I always want people to enjoy themselves, let loose, and relax. That’s the main goal of it. I add in some humor, too.”
Tridgell said the library has to shown to be very supportive of the arts, which strikes a chord with her, and added that she enjoys leading the painting parties and seeing familiar faces in attendance.
Katlyn Velliquette, of Mokena, was enjoying her evening spent painting at the library with her mother, Carol.
“It’s fun,” she said. “It’s easier than I thought.”
Velliquette’s had never previously attended a painting party, and she decided to come out after hearing about it through one of her friends.
“She’s done it,” Velliquette said of her friend. “She said she had fun. It was a good stress reliever.”
Velliquette said though she does not consider herself to be artsy, she likes how the painting party gives her a chance to show off her creative side.
Julie Wibel, also of Mokena, shared Velliquette’s sentiment.
“I think that’s wonderful,” she said. “I don’t consider myself artsy, but I have something to show that makes me look like it.”
Wibel she enjoys crafts very much and is often found doing them in her spare time.
“I do like to do crafts,” she said. “As long as I have something to follow, I’m good.”
Wibel tried to enroll in a previous Sips and Smocks Painting Party only to find it was filled to capacity. She found information about the event in the Mokena Messenger and decided to check it out.
“I’m loving it,” she said. “It’s so much fun. It’s a really nice project.”
Wibel said she picked up some new painting techniques throughout the event and that Tridgell made it very fun.
For more information on painting parties at the Mokena Community Pulbic Library, visit Facebook and search for “Sips & Smocks.”