Email   Print   Share By Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

Facebook Digg Delicious August 30, 2012 | Leisure

Painters at Painting with a Twist in the beginning stages of their paintings during the Painting with a Purpose Santa’s Workshop event in Harker Heights. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

Tara Benson and Chris Hill concentrate on painting the leaves on the trees on their paintings at Santa’s Workshop’s Painting with a Purpose, held at Painting with a Twist in Harker Heights Sunday night. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

Painters at Painting with a Twist’s Painting with a Prupose Santa’s Workshop event add small touches to their paintings, making them individual, Sunday evening. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

Painters hold up their finished paintings at the end of the Santa’s Workshop Painting with a Purpose event at Painting with a Twist in Harker Heights Sunday evening. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

HARKER HEIGHTS - Fort Hood’s Santa’s Workshop went the creative route for their fundraiser this month.

Painting with a Twist in Harker Heights not only holds scheduled classes for creating masterpieces and spending time with friends, they also host fundraisers for different organizations in the community, cleverly titled Painting with a Purpose.

Sunday evenening, they hosted Santa’s Workshop.

Karin Wilson, owner of Painting with a Twist in Harker Heights, said hosting Painting with a Purpose events is one of the best parts of her job.

“It gives me the opportunity to choose my hometown charities, the ones that affect my community,” she said. “This is my opportunity to help give back to the community, and I’m so proud to be a part of it.”

Once everyone from Santa’s Workshop had their canvases, paints, paintbrushes and easels ready, the painting process began on the artwork of the night, titled “Colors of Summer.”

The atmosphere at Painting with a Twist was relaxed, and singing along to everyone’s favorite ‘80s songs was encouraged while the Santa’s Workshop helpers painted their sunsets and colorful trees.

Wilson also provided mini cupcakes for the Santa’s Workshop Painting with a Purpose from her friends at Cookie Addiction, right next door to Painting with a Twist, adding to the friendly environment.

Wilson said she enjoys doing these charity events because everyone ends up having so much fun, and it significantly helps out the specific charity.

“Fifty percent of the proceeds go to the charity, and tonight, Santa’s Workshop is getting more than $400 to put toward their cause,” Wilson said.

When Painting with a Twist isn’t doing charity events, they are holding daily classes, available at any time through an easy reservation process, for anyone who wants to paint. They also encourage painters to bring snacks and wine, and just have fun.

Chris Hill, organizer for Santa’s Workshop’s Painting with a Purpose event, said she had so much fun at Painting with a Twist, she hopes to organize another event between Santa’s Workshop and Painting with a Twist.

“Doing events like this makes the community aware of Santa’s Workshop,” Hill said. “That’s why it’s important. And adding fun to the mix is never a bad thing.”

Kathy Hersey, vice president of Fort Hood’s Santa’s Workshop, also attended the Painting with a Purpose Sunday evening, and she said she can’t wait to come back to Painting with a Twist.

“I’m going to bring my daughter back to one of the kid classes,” Hersey said of Painting with a Twist’s classes that are aimed at painters with smaller hands. “She would have such a blast doing this,” she added as she was painting the leaves onto her trees.

Since Santa’s Workshop’s Christmas in July event, held at Outback Steakhouse in Killeen, Hill said the charity organization has been very busy.

“Christmas in July is really the kick-off of our fundraising season,” Hill said. “We just don’t stop until the workshop opens in December.

“Our fundraising season is in full force from July to December, and this is just one more way to raise money before Christmas shopping begins.”

At the end of the night, everyone made the final touches on their paintings and posed for a photo with their completed paintings, as is tradition for Karin Wilson to take a picture of every class that comes through.

“Thank you all so much,” Wilson said, “Thank you for letting me be a part of the contribution to Fort Hood’s Santa’s Workshop, through Painting with a Purpose.”