Kelly’s Art & Frame

I am relatively new to Alexandria and had been looking for a frame shop for my numerous works of art. Decided to try out Kelly’s place. The fact that the owner was also an artist appealed to me because I knew generally artists possess a discriminating eye for perfection. I was not disappointed at all. As a matter of fact she (Kelly) was fabulous. Aside from her knowledge about the arts and her trade, her customer service was second to none and I thank her for that.
I went in there for a very small item, actually two. One was to get a certain size mat board to be cut to size and the other was making a specific border cut for a piece I bought from somewhere else. Most places will not bother or if they did they will charge you an arm and a leg. She took the time to help out with customer’s interest in mind, her work was perfect and she did it with a genuine smile. I would highly recommend Kelly’s Art & Frame.

I had two canvasses stretched at Kelly’s Art and Frame. They did a great job! I did not want a frame so they recommended painting the edge black which looks great. They were super friendly and the paintings were ready when they said they would be!

We purchased a LivingSocial Deal and had a fun time here. When we arrived everything was set up for us (11×14 canvas, paint tray, water containers, brushes, etc.). There were also some snacks (not a great spread) and bottled water (WHICH YOU HAD TO PURCHASE FOR $ 1.00)!!! The class started with a quick introduction of how to prime a canvas, mix paints, etc. We were then set free to do whatever we wanted to do on our canvas. All in all, we had a great afternoon painting and would recommend this place to any people looking for a fun and different afternoon or evening activity.

Kelly’s Art and Frame is a really fun place to paint for those of us who don’t have the means or supplies to paint at home. And it’s a great place to paint if you’ve never done it before! For three hours, Kelly sets you up in a studio with a canvas, easel, a palette, and plenty of brushes and acrylic paint and allows you to do whatever. Also, it is BYOB to get the creative juices flowing — awesome! It is recommended that you bring a picture of what you want to paint, but Kelly also provides plenty of books from which to get ideas. She even printed out an enlarged picture I had on my phone, which I really appreciated. She gives basic directions on how to prime the canvas, sketch your painting with a charcoal pencil, dry the layers, and play with the colors. She was unobtrusive, but gave direction where needed. I will say, it’s only as fun as you make it. Come in with a friend, a good attitude, and an open mind to what you want to paint. I don’t recommend it you are putting a lot of pressure on yourself to make the perfect painting in three hours or if you don’t have an artistic bone in your body because you might be disappointed in your final product. Overall, I loved being able to sip on some wine, have all my supplies set up for me, and a little instruction and then I was on my own! Wouldn’t mind doing this again!

Here is the set up:
The last time I painted anything was in 3^rd grade. A teacher told my parents that I had a natural knack for oil painting and they should nurture my talent.
That was pretty much the end of my painting career. Chinese kids don’t become professional painters! Come on…
I have always wondered if I would be any good if I tried to pick it back up again as an adult. I remembered enjoying it quite a bit.
But life got busy, and frankly, paint supplies (Easel, canvas, paint, brushes, palette knife, etc.) can get pretty pricey for something that you aren’t sure you’ll be good at or enjoy anymore.
Fast forward to the age of Groupon. Spotted a BYOB painting session for two.
I messaged all of my girl friends– begging someone to want to go with me– I’d even pay. Everyone said, «I don’t paint». So, I turned to my husband and wheedled…“Babe– don’t you think painting would be a good date night activity?” He said, «eh…sure…I guess» YAAAAYYYYY!
Finally got a chance to utilize it for Valentine’s Day! We had dinner at the Warehouse Bar and Grilll (review pending) and trekkked on over to paint.
Kelly (the owner) was the only person there. She gave some really basic instruction about painting the canvas so you don’t end up with a bunch of white showing through, showed us how to transfer the art tracing with the charcoal, and then we were left on our own.
She provided salsa and chips, valentine’s cookies, and chocolates. Plus plastic glasses and a wine bottle opener for people who brought wine. She had Delilah on the radio playing love songs.
This isn’t a class– so if you have never painted, and you have no idea what you are doing, you’re pretty much going to be on your own. But she doesn’t tout it as a painting class.
I had a wonderful time. 3 hours of mindless painting was just what I needed. My husband survived– his painting for our daughter came out looking more like modern art. If you want to see our results, mine is the KOI fish and his painting is the multi-​color butterfly.
After the class, she mounted my painting in one of her frames for just $ 15 more.

This review is for the BYOB Painting Sessions.
This was my first time participating in any of these kind of sessions. My friends and I had a good time and luckily, used a Groupon because I would have been disappointed if I paid the $ 65 regular price. I guess what sells it is the combination of: «wine», «painting», «small gallery», «Old Town».
The canvas, brushes, easel and paint were included. The two teachers walked around to provide instructions to the 16 of us that were there and asked if we needed any help. We could either e-​mail in a picture, which they would print out and then you trace it with charcoal to transfer to the canvas to then paint or you can look at reference books available there to copy a famous painting. If you’re new to painting and just want to attend for a fun, different type of social activity, you’ll have a nice time but keep in mind it’s not really a class. In one way, I like that everyone is creating their unique painting. In another, as I was there for the social aspect of the activity, it could have been fun too to have traces of famous paintings on the canvas that you fill in with the paint. This way, you don’t have to focus too much on the painting part and can enjoy the wine you brought and the different interpretations you and your friends have of the same work.
Kelly was great to deal with when making the arrangements. She was quick and thorough in our e-​mail correspondence.

My husband and I typically bring our artwork down to Miami when we visit our family each year for framing, but are so happy to have found a great place close to home!
Kelly has a great selection of frames and mats available. I brought her a special pastel print we had done in Spain last year and she made some great recommendations on how to bring out the best in the print. The frame is unique and the mat a very high quality.
It turned out better than we could have hoped and now we’re looking at what print to bring in next. Kelly’s pricing was reasonable and the workmanship stellar. Highly recommend Kelly’s! :)