Meet Crystal Schenck-McFarlin of Pretty Paints Mobile Art Studio in Temecula Wine Country

Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystal Schenck-McFarlin.

Crystal, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
After our daughter was diagnosed with Autism at the age of two, back in 2009, our lives were forever changed. With only a few words in her vocabulary, she would become easily frustrated as she tried to tell others her wants and needs. I soon quit my desk job and decided to commit 100% of my time trying to find the tools she needed to grow. We changed the way we went about our day, and quickly learned what it meant to be an Autism Family: Working with ABA, OT, and Speech Therapists; learning sign language; routines & redirecting; utilizing PECS; incentive charts & stickers- which all provided great support, but I still felt like something was missing… I then had the idea to turn to ART.

I bought her a journal and watched as she focused on her scribbles, shapes & colors. I would talk to her about them, explaining emotions and feelings. It seemed to click with her. It became a part of our daily routine. She brought it everywhere. Eventually, she couldn’t wait to explain what she drew… She had so much to say! I then started painting on canvas while she drew pictures in her journal, sitting next to her as we both concentrated on every stroke. This became my own daily hobby. Painting always has allowed me to express myself in a way that words never could, and now we had that in common. I didn’t realize how much I, too, needed art in my life.

Present-day: our daughter is thriving and loves talking about anything and everything. She still uses art as an extra form of expression, and that will never change.

We will be teaching Paint & Sip classes at local wineries, breweries, restaurants and fun venues. We also teach families and kids, plus other fun workshops like chunky blankets, succulent planters, and more!! A portion of every class booked will always be donated to the new Autism & The Arts Initiative. This is an Initiative that we created with Our Nicholas Foundation, which provides art classes, camps and other courses for local children with ASD! The classes will focus on fine motor skills and creative expression. ALL children are welcome, which is great for social skills, and families that want to send their children to class with their siblings & friends. It gives children on the spectrum a creative outlet and provides ALL students the opportunity to express their feelings.

Pretty Paints provides an opportunity for anyone that wants to support the cause, an escape to free their mind and relax for a few hours during our fun classes. It gives our community an opportunity to help an amazing cause, and having fun while doing it! It gives you a feeling that you never knew you were missing. I am so honored to have the love and support that has been flooding in. Let’s raise money for the Initiative, and watch more children on the spectrum blossom through the power of ART! I can’t wait to create with EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!

I wanted to combine Art + Autism in some way. I created Pretty Paints as a safe outlet for locals to come create and find their artistic side. We are mobile, so our options to collaborate are endless. I started this journey teaching + managing everything on my own. Our two year anniversary is March 29. I can proudly say that now we have a solid team of seven, and we will keep growing.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The community has embraced us with open arms. It has been pretty much smooth sailing. The only hard part is that we constantly are reinventing ourselves. Art, like fashion, has trends. Styles fade. We are constantly digging into our creative brains to invent new fun projects that everyone will enjoy.

We had all of our art supplies stolen last year. That was a huge setback, but the community pulled together and helped us raise enough to get all supplies back. You can find the news report here: https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/someone-stole-art-supplies-for-kids-with-autism-in-lake-elsinore/137778/ 

Pretty Paints Mobile Art Studio – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We do everything from Paint + Sips, Succulent Workshops, Chunky Blankets, Wood Burnishing, Kid’s Birthday Parties, to Bob Ross Experiences. Our students call us ‘living Pinterest on wheels’. I am proud that we have worked for every achievement on our own. We did not take ideas from other companies, or piggyback in any way. It’s not uncommon that I work a 16 hour day, six days a week for the first year and a half before I hired my team. Over the last two years, we have created with more than 15,000 people!

We are set apart from others in the fact that every single class that we host, we donate 50% of our proceeds back to a non-profit for children on the Autism Spectrum. It’s Our Nicholas Foundation, a local nonprofit to Southern California. We created Autism + The Arts Initiative with ONF so that we could also host classes for children on the spectrum, at no cost to their families. We have taught over 600 students to date, for free. All students with Autism are also allowed to bring their siblings or friend to make it an all-inclusive event.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I celebrate the little things: Hiring my team, getting all 5-star reviews, becoming an official company. Partnering with amazing local venues and staying loyal to our purpose. I would say the proudest moment, though was the day my daughter told me she was proud of me. She doesn’t express things like that often. That was a big moment.

Pricing:

• Classes start at $25, including in home private + kid birthday parties. Local venue pricing: $35+ for a Paint + Sip

Contact Info:

• Website: www.prettypaintsparty.com
• Phone: 951-409-6605
• Email: book@prettypaintsparty.com

Image Credit:
Shots Fired Photostylings
Britney Holden

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