Tequila Made Me Do It – Fonda Lola’s New Art Event

Tuesday, March 31, 2015 was the inaugural Tequila Made Me Do It! painting workshops hosted by Fonda Lola restaurant. This two-hour art party/lesson gives the participants the opportunity to unleash their repressed artistic talents onto a canvas with the help of tequila. Nestled in the city’s art and design district, this workshop is a great activity to do before heading off to one of the many art galleries within walking distance from Fonda Lola. For $50, the workshops feature all of the necessary supplies needed for creating a masterpiece (i.e. paints, brushes, and canvases) along with tequila and some appetizers to munch on.

Upon arrival, the lucky participants received a warm welcome and freshly made margaritas from one of the restaurant’s owners Andres Marquez. Near the bar, the chalkboard displayed an impressive collection of the different tequilas, including reposado, añejo, and the featured white tequila, Tequila La Hora Azul. Near the front windows, a whimsical and lively painting of a pair of tulips and dragonflies was on display. When the workshop was about to begin, everyone was told that they would be recreating the same painting on our own.
Before the workshop, Laura and Paco—the professional painters and instructors for the evening—encouraged everyone to not worry about your skill level or how the finished painting will look by the end of the evening. “Be creative and have fun, regardless of whether the work looks perfect or not,” said Laura, the instructor. With that, everyone downed their first shot of tequila and picked up their paintbrushes.
Throughout the tutorial, Laura was incredibly helpful and encouraging as she showed everyone how to recreate her own painting of the tulips. The tips and techniques that she shared during the tutorial, such as using a spray bottle full of water to better blend the paint on the canvas, were so easy to follow and gave the paintings a nice gradient.

At one point during the evening, there were onlookers from the street that dropped by the restaurant, including JessGo, the noted Toronto-based painter who’s currently hosting a pop-up gallery next door to Fonda Lola inside the Clint Roenisch gallery. The restaurant’s staff was very attentive and made sure that our shot glasses were always filled with tequila. A few appetizers were served throughout the evening, including fresh guacamole and chips, Panela Poppers, and a handheld Caesar salad topped with a huge delicious piece of candied jalapeño bacon. At the end of the night, everyone was extremely proud of the lovely artwork that they’ve created with the help of margaritas and tequila shots.

The first Tequila Made Me Do It! art tutorial was an incredibly fun evening filled with laughter, smiles, great food, and great drinks. The evening served as a reminder that the best moments of creativity arises when the inhibitions are gone and the comments from one’s own inner critic/perfectionist are ignored. If tequila helps in letting down one’s inhibitions so the inner artist can be expressed then drink on! Hopefully there will be many more of the art tutorials in the future!

(photos by Tanya)

Tequila Made Me Do It- Fonda Lola Art Event