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Arts & Culture Last Updated: Nov 20, 2020 - 8:44:29 PM


Art Studio pivots to offer at-home products, DIY Paint experiences to combat tech 'overload'
By Shonalee King Johnson
Nov 20, 2020 - 5:04:58 PM

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Gennyne Hepburn, Owner of Big Picture Paint & SIp Studio

Nassau, Bahamas, November 20, 2020— Since mid-March, remote work, virtual learning, video conference calls and binge-watching during lockdowns have become the new normal for Bahamian families during the Covid-19 pandemic. The increase screen time could lead to what researchers are describing as tech ‘overload’. Local business Big Picture Paint & Sip Studio is using creativity to combat this constant need for connectivity by pivoting to offer clients at-home paint kits and curated craft boxes for kids as an additional product and service category.  

The art studio located at 8 South Buckner Square Sandyport is currently operating online. Big Picture was in the first wave of business operators to close as a result of the Emergency Orders.  

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Do the Junkanoo with Big Picture at-home art and craft kits

Studio owner Gennyne Hepburn immediately began thinking of ways to stay connected to clients including children. Prior to the pandemic, the experienced-based company had already integrated technology into its operations by allowing clients to book and pay for private or open painting sessions online.

“At the onset of the pandemic, we looked at business continuity.  Our focus was on how we could pivot to deliver a creative experience for clients while at home.  Our in-studio paint sessions are interactive and hands-on. We had to consider how that experience and creativity could translate beyond the walls of our studio space,” Hepburn explained.  

“We had a kids Easter art camp set for April 2020 in studio, which we converted to an at-home camp due to the lockdown. Many parents shared that they also wanted their children to have downtime from the screens and the technology overload resulting from virtual learning.

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Paint at home trend combats tech overload during the pandemic

The studio’s themed craft boxes are also being used by parents to support at-home art curriculums.  

“For the upcoming Christmas season, we want to help parents introduce art and culture to children in a way where they are engaged and are proud of the quality pieces that they create through the experience,” Hepburn said.  

“Our holiday arts and craft boxes will focus on Bahamian Junkanoo. Young artists will have an opportunity to decorate a Junkanoo headpiece, create a mixed media collage and paint a bold and colorful piece of art that they can have as a keepsake.”  

To expand their ecommerce reach, Big Picture Paint & Sip Studio added an online store where clients could order themed paint kits, craft kits and boxes with customized instructions for the young and old. By early May, clients were able to request customized self-portraits, family wall signs or choose from the “Paint-A-Legend” collection amongst other offerings.   

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Junkanoo Is Not Cancelled thanks to art and craft boxes from Big Picture Paint & Sip Studio

A key demographic emerging from the remote art experience is grandparents and parents seeking ways to reduce screen time and get young children back into the space of using their hands and innate creativity.  

“We’ve found a growing trend of grandparents purchasing kits as gifts and shipping them to the Family Islands and internationally.”   

The studio is also set to host several private virtual paint experiences heading into the holidays where clients pre-order kits and gather online to sip and paint from the safety of their homes. For more information on the company’s at-home virtual or other experiences, visit www.bigpicltd.com, email info@bigpicltd.com, call 242-601-0144 or follow them @bigpictureltd on Instagram and Facebook.


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