‘We swapped our typical wild ladies’ evening out for a extra therapeutic different’

OPINION: We swapped our typical wild night on the town for a different kind of girls’ night with my two best friends, here’s what we thought about our neon painting workshop

A girls’ night out usually means getting dressed up, heading straight to the bar and hitting the town. But me and my two best friends decided to try something a little different.

We swapped the usual start to our Saturday night for a therapeutic painting session, hoping to unleash our creative sides, unwind with a glass of wine and enjoy some quality time together. But while we went in looking for a relaxing, zen experience, it ended up being the perfect way to kick off our night out before hitting the tiles anyway.

The experience took us to Wine and Art in Barcelona, where we tried the Savanna Glow workshop, painting colourful African-inspired sunsets with fluorescent paints designed to glow under black light.

When you’re away with your best friends, it’s easy to fall into the same routine of getting ready, finding a bar and ordering cocktails. So the idea of starting the evening with something creative felt like a refreshing change.

The Savanna Glow workshop is designed for all abilities, meaning you don’t need any previous painting experience to take part. Whether you’re a natural with a paintbrush or haven’t picked one up since school, the focus is on experimenting with colours and enjoying yourself rather than creating a perfect masterpiece.

The guided session takes you through the process step by step, helping you recreate the vibrant colours of an African sunset, while the free-style option gives you the freedom to paint whatever you fancy.

It sounded like the ideal way to switch off from everyday life for a little while, get out of our own heads and spend some proper quality time together.

The main attraction is the fluorescent paint, which is designed to glow under black light and give your artwork a striking finish.

Rather than a traditional painting class, the workshop encourages you to experiment with bright shades, mix colours and see how they transform on the canvas.

There’s something appealing about having an activity to focus on while catching up with your friends. Instead of worrying about what to wear next or where to go afterwards, you can simply get stuck in and enjoy the moment.

Of course, our plans to have a peaceful, therapeutic evening didn’t mean we were giving up on a night out altogether. The free-flowing wine and banging tunes definitely helped us get in the mood for this.

In fact, the workshop doubled up as pre-drinks before we headed into the city. It was the best of both worlds, as a chance to feel a little more relaxed and creative before getting ready to hit the town.

Rather than rushing straight from our accommodation to a bar, we had something fun to do together first. It gave the evening a different pace and made the night feel like more of an occasion.

If you’re planning a trip with friends and want to do more than visit the usual tourist spots, a creative workshop could be worth adding to your itinerary.

Wine and Art is suited to anyone looking for an alternative night out that doesn’t have to mean choosing between a chilled evening and a big night on the town.

You can embrace your creative side, spend time with your favourite people and then carry on with your plans afterwards. And because the workshop caters for beginners, there’s no pressure to be good at painting.

For me, the appeal was having a different way to start a Saturday night with my two best friends. We set out to do something relaxing and creative, but it also worked perfectly as a warm-up for the evening ahead.

If you’re bored of the same old drinks-and-dinner routine, a painting workshop could be just the thing to shake things up. Who says a girls’ night out can’t start with a little zen before the chaos ensues?

For more info and to book yourself a session please visit their website here.

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