Kelly and Lea Ann Allen have been turning Art+Wine at the AMA into a fun date night tradition with their own creative twists.
Over the past few years, the couple have attended several Art+Wine events hosted by the Arlington Museum of Art. While the class follows the DIY instruction given by a guest artist, Kelly and Lea Ann have riffed side-by-side to create a pair of paintings, either based on the instructions provided or inspired by their own muse. The result? Two companion paintings they take home and display together.
“We both went to art school in the 80s, and we have worked our whole careers in ad agencies and design firms doing graphic design (Kelly) and copywriting (me),” said Lea Ann. “We paint for fun!”
“We like doing funny things to master paintings,” said Lea Ann. “Kelly puts bunny ears on things as you can see, as bunnies are ‘our thing.’ He has always drawn me love notes on Post-Its featuring bunnies doing silly things, and our house is full of the bunny things that our kids and others gift us.”
At the most recent Art+Wine at the AMA, Lea Ann and Kelly created an interpretive pairing of The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, while others enjoyed following the step-by-step instruction by artist Sharon Miller to create a Valentine’s Day-inspired painting.
“We love coming to the art experiences at Arlington Museum of Art,” said Lea Ann. “They are always so lovely and enjoyable.”
About Art+Wine at the AMA
Join the Arlington Museum of Art for our popular DIY art series! Held in one of our galleries, participants enjoy artist-led, step-by-step painting instruction so that by the end of the evening, they’ll have their very own canvas painting to take home with them. Wine and snacks are included in the price of admission.
To learn about upcoming Art+Wine events, email us a request to subscribe to our enewsletter.
