About Us

Sip your favorite beverages and munch on your favorite nibbles while you paint a masterpiece!

The Painted Cork is a family-owned business, and it is the first official "Paint and Sip" style Art studio to break ground in California in 2010!

Join us on the westside of Santa Cruz for art, crafting, and "Paint & Sip" or "Paint Night" style painting classes! The Painted Cork arts and crafts studio is a fun and unique space with a lively social atmosphere! Beverages and food are welcome in the classes! All materials are included, as well as 2-3 hours of professional instruction! Our professional artist will guide you through the steps of creating the day's themed painting or art project. We will teach you everything you need to know to complete your artwork! Sign up for a public class from our schedule or book a private event with us for your next birthday, girls' night out, team-building event, or family gathering!

Due to the pandemic, we unfortunately had to give up our studio spaces in Sacramento and Folsom, but don't worry Folsom and Sac!! We just re-opened a Santa Cruz location, and soon we will look for a new studio in the Sacramento region as well!  We are currently offering onsite public events at our new Santa Cruz location as well as other venues and private parties at guest homes!  We are also still holding private virtual parties where you can celebrate with friends and colleagues anywhere in the world!  Here is a direct link to our category of Classes and Events!  And here is a direct link to our Private Party options! We also offer a selection of "Paint at Home" options. Such as Virtual Painting Lessons and Home Painting Kits with written lesson plans!  You can choose between a Paint your Pet kit, a classic canvas kit, or a Bottle Painting Kit! Here is the direct link to our "Paint at Home" options!

We take pride in our guest’s paintings and want you to walk away with something beautiful!

If you think that you can't even draw a stick figure, you are PERFECT for our classes! During the class, one of our professional artists will instruct the entire class through step-by-step painting instruction and show the entire group how to paint the selected painting of the day or night. Most of our paintings even come with a preliminary sketch on the canvas! We show you which brush to pick up, which colors to mix and how to apply them to the canvas.

And have no fear: our house has no painting “rules”! Our guests have complete freedom to create their paintings any way they like and to make them their own! Let your creativity run wild! Change colors, add elements or even change the entire painting if you like! Everyone has a “style” of painting regardless if they’ve never even painted before! Whatever you like, go for it; paint with your fingers if you like! It’s your painting and it should be built the way you want.

Here’s How It’s Done

• Go to our website
• Click on the “Classes and Events” tab to view our calendar
• Register online for your class
• Show up 20-25 minutes early to pick out your seats and relax
• Get ready to get your creative juices flowing!

 

 

What To Expect When You Join a class

When you arrive at your class 20-30 minutes early, you will then check in. You can then pick out your seat and get comfortable! We try to reserve seats for parties of 6 or more ahead of time, so please let us know when you register for the class by adding into the comments box that you are a large group and exactly how many guests will be at your party. 

 

The Process

Upon taking your seat, you will notice that we have taken the time and effort to draw a preliminary sketch onto your canvas prior to the class. This drawing is what many artists use to place elements appropriately into the canvas prior to the painting process so that they don’t have to aimlessly draw with their paintbrushes. We have our professional artists come in 2 hours prior to every class so to ensure the drawings can be done in time and to help build your painting for success. If you do not want the drawing, you are more than welcome to request a blank canvas! Our artist will begin the class by going over what to expect from the process and then begin to show the class a step-by-step process of building the painting. We do take breaks during the classes to allow the paint to dry and to give our guests a chance to step away from their paintings and fill their cups. We play music throughout our classes, and we do take requests! When the painting process is complete, our artist will show you how to sign your masterpiece, and you are finished! The acrylic paint dries very quickly, and within minutes, your painting will be dry and ready to take home.

The Painted Cork Founder ~ Kimberly Godinho

Kimberly Godinho is the proud founder, owner, and operator of The Painted Cork Art Studios! Kimberly started her business with a dream in her heart, a BFA in her hand, and over 30 years of teaching and painting experience. In 2010 she opened The Painted Cork Art Studio at 801 Sutter St in Historic "Old Town" Folsom. In June 2013, she opened The Painted Cork’s second location at 1624 J Street in Midtown Sacramento. And in 2018, she opened in Santa Cruz!

Kimberly Godinho is a local California artist and an accomplished art instructor with a bachelor’s degree in fine art, which she received with honors from the Ringling School of Art and Design in 1999. She has also won numerous grants and scholarships while attending RSAD, including the New York Studio Residency Program, where she got to live and work in NYC as a professional artist during her Junior year. Kimberly is skilled in the art of oil painting, acrylic painting, watercolor painting, pastels, colored pencils, stone carving, wood and plaster sculpture, and printmaking. She has sold her artwork and had showings of her work across the country, including the states of CA, NJ, PE, NY, FL, and MD. She’s also accomplished dozens of commissioned pieces as a portrait artist, muralist, and children’s book illustrator and has been teaching art to children and adults for over 25 years. Her favorite class to teach is the Paint Your Pet class, which she developed in 2011 and still teaches today at the Santa Cruz studio. Kimberly lives in Aptos with her husband, son, and 3 labs Bruno, Sugar and Moose.

To view Kimberly Godinho’s most recent series of Early American Coin Paintings, click on the link: Coin Paintings

Kimberly has painted the entire swirled interior of all 3 studio locations, along with a 30-foot exterior mural on the building of the Sacramento location.

 

The Painted Cork FOLSOM ~ Before and after

The Painted Cork SACRAMENTO ~ Before and after

 

The Painted Cork SACRAMENTO ~ 30 foot Mural (Before and after)

 

The OLD Painted Cork SANTA CRUZ Soquel Ave ~ Before and after

The NEW Painted Cork SANTA CRUZ Delaware Ave!