Sabrina Chevrier brings Paint and Sip with Sab to Mackay, Whitsundays

A fresh take on “paint and sip” classes is headed on tour, guiding women through a journey of self love and creativity.

Paint and sip with Sab is fresh take on “paint and sip” classes, guiding women through a journey of self love and creativity. Photo: Contributed

An art class with the goal of fostering self-love is heading to Mackay and Whitsundays, offering people that chance to come together for a night of self-expression and self-acceptance.

Paint and Sip with Sab invites people to create an art piece that is uniquely their own by painting custom canvas of their own silhouette.

Artist and owner of Paint and Sip with Sab, Sabrina Chevrier, said her classes might not be what people expect when they hear “paint and sip”.

“For one, how often do you get to paint your own body?” she said.

She liked to begin the sessions with a moment of mindfulness, and provide space for those who wanted to share their body image journey or why they joined before they got started with the painting.

Sabrina Chevrier runs Paint and sip with Sab. Photo: Contributed

Having the chance to be seen and heard without judgement can be incredibly validating for participants.

Each person gets pre-drawn canvas based on a nude or partially nude photo they send to Miss Chevrier when they purchase a ticket and she then provides light guidance but she warns, she doesn’t teach painting techniques, but rather teaches people how to trust themselves.

“When you avoid strict instructions, you make space for real creativity, and for everyone’s own unique style to come through,” she said.

She said self-love was at the heart of every step of the process, starting with people knowing and honouring their own limits, especially when choosing how to take and submit a photo.

“Sending a nude image to a stranger in this context can be a deeply powerful act of self-reclamation,” she said.

Attendees paint a pre drawn canvas based on an image they send to Sabrina. Photo: Contributed

“It’s a way to be witnessed without judgment, criticism, expectation or further demands.”

With online spaces filled with images that are filtered and retouched, having the chance to sit in a room with real women, sharing real insecurities, is both validating and freeing, Miss Chevrier says.

“We live in a world that constantly tells us to fix, hide, or shrink ourselves, so choosing to celebrate our bodies exactly as they are is an act of rebellion, and one I’m proud to facilitate,” she said.

“Seeing other regular women embrace themselves is a permission, or an expander.”

She said she understands for many women, taking a photo of themselves, especially if they’re not used to seeing their body through a camera lens, could feel confronting.

Sabrina provides just enough guidance to make people feel comfortable and help them to trust themselves. Photo: Contributed

“That’s why I make a point to remind them that whatever they’re comfortable with is perfectly fine, and I provide plenty of tips to help them take a photo in a way that feels empowering,” she said.

What was unexpected though, said Miss Chevrier, was how vulnerable creativity itself could feel.

“Many women worry about getting it wrong, especially because this isn’t just any painting; it’s something personal and meaningful,” she said.

Her role is to ease people into the creative flow, so they can let go of that pressure.

Everyone that attends Paint and sip with Sab will come away with a completely unique piece of art. Photo: Contributed

“This experience isn’t about doing it perfectly, it’s about self-expression, self-acceptance, and reclaiming the way we see ourselves,” she said.

“And once they allow themselves to lean into that, that’s where the magic happens.”

Paint and Sip with Sab will head to The Creative Art Studio in Mackay on May 30 and to Bowen later this year.

Miss Chevrier said she was eager to bring the event to small towns all around Queensland and encouraged people to get in touch if they had a venue in mind and wanted to see sessions in their town.

Originally published as Sabrina Chevrier brings Paint and Sip with Sab to Mackay, Whitsundays