I grew up in an extremely artistic household.  My Pop Yocom was a storyteller, my Deed was a sculptor, my Mama a painter, and my Aunt a puppeteer.  Is it any wonder that as a child I was drawn to the arts like a moth to the flame?

I give a great deal of the credit for this passion to my Grammy Yocom. She was the one who introduced me to crafting at an early age.  She was a teacher who believed that play was the key to learning.  Consequently, there was always some sort of fun activity going on at her kitchen table. Everything from apple headed dolls (my Grammy actually purchased the Vincent Price Shrunken Head Kit) to real plates displaying my artwork (I drew on a paper disc that was then sent to a company that turned it into a melamine plate).  My Grammy always had one fun kit or another for my cousin and me.  

Which is why I think I'm so intrigued by these adult paint by number kits from Winnie's Picks.  

These are definitely a step up from the kits I remember.  For one thing, the paintbrushes are a lot better!  I remember the plastic bristled brushes that came with my first foray into paint by numbers.  I think I would have been better off using a toothbrush...or a q-tip.  Winnie's kits come with 4 quality paintbrushes in an assortment of sizes, a rolled linen canvas (no cardboard or paper here), premixed and numbered paints, and instructions.  It's everything you need.  And, since these kits are geared towards adults, the themes are much more exciting than the puppies, kitties, and galloping horses I remember painting.

With the emergence of such stress relievers as adult colouring books, this seems like the next step in art therapy.  

One of my favorite aspects of the site is you can submit a photograph and they will turn it into a personalized paint by numbers.  This is something that I would like to explore in the future with my corporate clients.  I think it would be amazing to design a company logo and then have that turned into a paint by numbers kit that folks could do at an event.  It would make a great team-building activity.  I could see having a personalized one for a family reunion, wedding weekend, or youth retreat.  Like a puzzle, it's one of those things that you could have set up on a table and let people work on throughout the day (as long as everyone was diligent about closing the paint tubs and cleaning the brushes).  It certainly has the potential of becoming one of those family traditions that can be shared and passed down.

If you've ever been intrigued by painting but aren't sure where to begin or what to buy, I suggest giving one of these kits a try.  It's a safe, inexpensive way to dip your toe into the artistic waters of painting.  And who knows, you might just end up with an amazing conversation piece suitable for framing.