Looking to channel your inner Klimt? Check out Create: the artist studio, a new initiative in River City Bangkok launched by Andrew Clark and his colleagues at Smiling Albino, the highly regarded travel company. Create promises classes in painting, drawing, photography and more, as well as creative space for cooped-up artists.

 

With inbound tourism on the backburner for a while, Clark and company kept busy rather than waiting for travelers to return. On the contemporary art floor inside the riverside gallery and mall, they have built what is billed as a co-working space for artists—somewhere to pick up art supplies, set up an easel and learn some new tricks from local experts and even the occasional celebrity.

 

The Create team is also planning classes outside the studio along the riverside, from Chinatown and Talad Noi to Klongsan and Kudeejeen.

 

“One of our favorite neighborhoods is Talad Noi—narrow sois running from Charoenkrung Road to the Chao Phraya River. Lanes lined with shophouses where vendors cook and traders work on car parts, buildings built in [the] Chinese style, pocket parks filled with 100-year-old trees,” says Andrew Clark, special experience designer for Smiling Albino and the main engine behind this project. “There is a great resource of artists in the community that want to get involved [by] teaching classes.”

 

The space is kicking off its July schedule this weekend (Jul 4) with five acrylic paint classes: Van Gogh Creative Landscape Painting Class; Van Gogh Copy Landscape Painting Class; Van Gogh Copy Portrait Painting Class; Creative Portrait Painting Class; and Still Life Painting Class.

 

Each class (B990-1,200) caters to 4-10 people only in order to create a more personalized experience and because #socialdistancing. All art supplies are included in the price of the class. For non-Thai speakers, classes will either be conducted in English or in Thai with a translator on hand.

 

To reserve your spot, visit the studio’s ZipEvent page or email [email protected]. For more information, check out fb.com/createbangkok.