Architectural Designers & Sisters create a world of peace and serenity within.

Meet Ann and Ban, sisters and Co-founders of You and I Paint ; a luxurious sophisticated Sip & Paint experience to educate and enhance the artistic side of an individual. Coming from the industry of architecture and engineering, these two sisters put their heads together to offer an experience like none other before, and in the midst of a pandemic, proved to be the silver lining of it all. Here’s the story of two women who used their inner power and abilities to create beyond themselves. 

Photo Credit – YK Photography

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Born in Baghdad, Iraq and immigrated to Canada in 2001, both sisters studied and pursued Architecture and have been in the industry for well over a decade until they decided to pursue their passion for event planning, art and becoming business partners. Art has been in their family ever since they could remember living in Iraq. Ban and Ann are both proud mothers to four beautiful daughters between ages 1-6 who hope to educate and enhance their exposure to art and entrepreneurship. 

What inspires you about your business?

You and I Paint is a luxurious, sophisticated Sip & Paint Experience. It inspires us because It’s more than a paint session. It’s therapy, a social outing and we help our clients explore a side to them they didn’t know they had. That being said, it is more than a canvas and paint brush, it is an escape! Events can vary from a scenic outdoor winery setting, to an aged, rustic barn with luxurious chandeliers with live entertainment.

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Our future plan is to spread brand awareness across the board and create a community of creative souls and prove to anyone that they can paint even if they’ve never held a paint brush in their life. We also hope to reach the wedding community as our events make the most perfect bachelorettes and bridal showers. 

What does success represent to you? 

Success to us is good health and spending quality time with our family. We wanted to create an environment where we shift our work around our life and not our life around work. We also are very excited to get to the point of giving back to the community. We host bi-weekly free virtual paint nights sometimes with classes over 150 participants and their happiness and positive feedback defines our success. Success to us is also the happiness of our clients. 

What is a challenge you have surmounted since launching the company? 

The pandemic has been a challenge. We’ve adapted to the better, safer and more hygienic version of ourselves to the point where we had specific 5-star reviews stating how people felt so safe coming to our events during the orange and and red zone. Our setup and material give people their own little space  – each person has their own table and we allow people to feel safely distant while enjoying a therapeutic session. 

What advice would you have taken / given when you first started the venture?

We endured long days and nights while juggling four toddlers! As working moms can relate, it was overwhelming but we knew that our passion for Art would push us through. Our advice to anyone starting out their venture is to just go for it and learn along the way as nothing can prepare you more than your own experience. Embrace every single failure and obstacle that comes your way as that’s life’s way of teaching you a lesson.

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Photo credit – @AnnMarkos

Cover Photo Credit : Jamie Torrance 

For more information on booking a session, visit their website.

For bookings and live sessions, Follow You and I Paint on Instagram.