'Paint Party by Nicole': Spreading the joy of painting with others

Apr. 1—When paint hits the canvas, Nicole Cook feels free to express herself and she's hoping to help others do the same.

Starting in November 2022, Cook began hosting paint and sip nights at the WoodButcher bar in Marysville. These events quickly gained traction and other venues began to take notice.

"I've been painting since I was young but really got back into it during COVID," said Cook. "I like encouraging people to trust the process and seeing when they're really happy about it. Most of the time people always say they had a great time. It's nice to get out in the community and meet people that you never would've met otherwise."

In addition to hosting a handful of private events, Cook now has regular gigs at Lambert House Cafe in Yuba City and Willow Glen in Oregon House. The WoodButcher continues to be a 21-and-over event while the Willow Glen and Lambert House locations welcome all ages.

"I am so thankful to the WoodButcher for letting me start these paint parties," said Cook. "If it wasn't for Nicole Franco, I wouldn't have started with the two other businesses and none of this would have been possible."

Cook's events have become known as "Paint Party by Nicole," which largely advertises its schedule via social media. Currently, Cook hosts paint sessions at the WoodButcher every third Saturday and at Willow Glen on the fourth Thursday of every month. She anticipates returning to Lambert House over the summer and has also been accepting private party bookings.

Cook's paintings tend to be playful, colorful, and abstract. To keep up with audience engagement, she recently implemented a polling system in which her followers have the opportunity to vote on three to four different inspirational designs. The ones that get the most votes win as the featured piece for the next paint party session.

"People really like the polls," said Cook. "We did a New Year's one that was gnomes and we also tend to do a lot of spring floral, flowers, and sunsets."

Despite the growing popularity, Cook still keeps things cheap. Admission often only costs $20 a person which primarily covers the cost of materials. She has yet to file a business license and is unsure if she will ever pursue that route. For now, the gig remains a hobby and she still works her regular 9-5 as an infant and toddler teacher at Head Start.

"I do it for fun, and I want others to have fun and not be too serious about it," added Cook.