Put about 50 people, more than a third of them children younger than 12 years old, in a room with paints, canvas and the necessary tools and what you get is lots fun, with a little creativity on the side. Bookmans held this free paint nite Friday, Feb. 16, 2018.
Paint nite at Bookmans
Fifty "artists," many of them children, created masterpieces, with a little guidance from Madison of Bookmans.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
It started out clean and calm. Neither lasted, but that didn't matter.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Painters were given an 8x10 canvas, brushes, paper towels, water and a plate with five colors of paint.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Painters Sarah, Catherine and Christopher prepare their canvases by brushing a little clean water over them.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Left to right: Joshua, Junior, Isabela, Tasha and Carina (right foreground), moisten their canvases by painting some clean water over them.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Kathleen, Susan, Cecilia, Chris and Ryan begin painting the purple background on their canvases.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Natalie, far left; Eve, Ken, Daniel, Antonina, Meghan, far right; and Jessica, right foreground, paint the background on their canvases.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
The background suggestion was purple, but some people even got creative with their backgrounds.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Some background painters were rebels.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Jeff, foreground left; Dhakniel, left background; Leonardo, James Robertson, Bookmans East event liaison, Taylor, August, Vivian, far right; and Rose, whose back is to the camera, have fun painting their backgrounds.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Andrew, left; Sue, Amy and Alexander concentrate on their canvases.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Painters were advised to paint the edges of the canvas if they intended to hang their masterpieces unframed.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Cecilia carefully covers her canvas.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Penelope appears to be making a decision.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Emiliano, far left; Zachary and Joshua, far right; begin the outlines of their saguaros with their other newly met table mates.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Alexander, foreground left, Andrew, Aubrey and Jo, right background, being their saguaros. Amy is in the right foreground.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
The artists begin to paint the tall part of the saguaro.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
The artists begin to paint the tall part of the saguaro.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Eve is filling out her saguaro with arms.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
A few of the artists rebelled against the confines of reality. But then, some living saguaros have done the same.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
A saguaro reaches for the sky.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
This saguaro prepares to take a bow.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Some saguaros even had hands at the ends of their arms.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Art and Jessica enjoy their creative sides.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
These industrious children are free thinkers based on their art.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
A bright flower rests atop the cactus.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
This young lady might be painting a different cactus than a saguaro.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Meghan and Jessica almost have their cacti ready for embellishment.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Christopher, Catherine and Sarah concentrate on their art.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Some artists preferred en entire desert scene to a single cactus.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Isabella, Tasha, Karina and Junior get their cacti ready for embellishment.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Once the base painting of the cactus is complete, artists began painting spines, thorns and other markings.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Catherine begins to enhance her painting.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Sarah paints the prickles on her saguaro.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
It's time for the flowers.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Jessica works on her flower.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
One blossom is just not enough.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
This saguaro brought a friend.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
In honor of Arizona's Valentine birthday earlier in the week, this cactus is covered in hearts instead of thorns.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
This cactus is filled with love.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
This free-form cactus is being embellished with flowers.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Penelope is having fun with flowers.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Leonardo and Sarah collaborate while Taylor works on her own masterpiece.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
August get some input from Vivian.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Susan and Kathleen are hard at work.
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
Linda and Eleanore have almost completed their masterpieces. But is any artist ever completely happy with his or her final product?
Paint nite at Bookmans offers fun and art for all
A room full of artists created individual masterpieces, most modeled after the saguaro cactus.
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This is part of an occasional series in Home + Life showing the many ways people in Tucson express their creativity.