As you will know from my blog, I just love creative travel. The more colourful and unusual, the better. And when creative travel adventures come along lightly in my own hometown of Vienna, then … But let us start from the beginning.
Melanie Eckl-Kerber, who has recently founded “Paint Your Souvenir“, actually found me first: Becoming friends through the networking circles of the Vienna Business Mums, we quickly agreed that (small) children, creativity, experience from self-employment and our own creative enthusiasm are the ideal mix for new business ideas.
On to new ideas: First venue of our creative afternoon with Paint Your Souvenir in Vienna’s Museumsquartier.
For me, this kind of creativity led to a children’s book project, for her to the founding of a new creative company in Vienna and Eastern Austria: Art Adventure and Paint Your Souvenir. Both brands originate from the same pen, and both are based on the idea that people like to be creative – whether on holiday or at home.
Paint Your Souvenir Part I: Creative workshop at the restaurant Die Halle in Vienna’s Museumsquartier.
“Paint Your Souvenir” is aimed at national and international guests who like to take their travel experience into their own hands in the truest sense of the word. The website www.paintyoursouvenir.com has an overview of all creative dates and venues; for example, painting workshops for mugs, snow globes, fridge magnets and paintable postcards are now taking place every Friday at the restaurant Die Halle in the Museumsquartier.
As a fan of languages, I love that Melanie organises a pool of multilingual artists who also speak the respective national language of the guests! Very cool!
Let’s go: Kick-off for creativity in the inspiring and artistic atmosphere of Vienna’s MQ Museumsquartier.
The start: A cosy lunch together in the restaurant Die Halle with more detailed explanations about the following creative workshop.
Founder Melanie Eckl-Kerber …
… changes our lunch table into a creative playground …
… and before we know it, we are right into the creative process (thank you for the photograph, dear Jessica!) …
the stencils are a good idea – freehand drawing on cups is not that easy!
Proudly showing off what we made: From left to right Ingrid Zalneva, Victoria Fellner, Julia Hesse, Jessica & Wolfgang Möller, Angelika Wandler, myself and Melanie with our self-made souvenirs from Vienna.
Paint Your Souvenir Part II: Watercolour painting from the viewing platform of the Danube tower.
The second part of our creative afternoon takes us from the Museumsquartier in the city centre to the Vienna Danube Tower in the Floridsdorf district of Vienna with a magnificent view of the Danube metropolis at our feet. Since my family and I live nearby, my husband and my almost three-year-old son Liam also paid us a visit there: “Mum, what are you painting?”
The goal: Painting the Vienna skyline in watercolour technique some 100 metres above ground …
… our experienced artist explains every step of the process to us, no previous knowledge required …
… and after only an hour of dedicated, creative work, supported by a glass of sparkling wine …
… we proudly show off our second set of self-made souvenirs: Thank you, dear Melanie, for such an inspiring afternoon with Paint Your Souvenir!
After all this excitement, we wind down over a wonderful three-course meal at the rotating restaurant on the top floor of the Vienna Danube Tower …
… and who knows whether views like these will inspire us to continue to paint beyond the workshop ..? In any case, we have all the inspiration (and the knowledge) now!
Check out the English version of Ingrid’s blog about her take on “Paint Your Own Souvenir from Vienna!”
Disclaimer: We have been invited by Paint Your Souvenir – Art Adventure e.U. on this creative afternoon in Vienna. All opinions are my own.