Laura Bilotta, the matron of Ontario’s largest singles event company and speed dating enterprise, Single in the City tried something new on Thursday 5th April, 2018 when she teamed up with Julia Chatterji of The Studio Paint Bar to stage a womens’-only Paint Night in Mississauga.  All this was new to the firm;  an official ‘women’s only’ event has never before been attempted (with tickets sold online – Laura did once invite female members to watch The Bachelor at a bar in Oakville, but tickets were sold at the door). More significantly, Laura Bilotta has never before tried a Paint Night.

Without question, the event was an unqualified success.  Twelve ladies shared plenty of laughs while painting a jewellery clad caveman on a 16 x 20-inch canvas.  It was an interesting experience filled with creative instruction. The activity yielded immense satisfaction as the twelve ladies communicated their own perceptions of the subject on their canvases.

The male model was a young man named Martin Dasko, a semi professional wrestler who performs as The Latin Lover, and is also the author a popular student finance blog, Studenomics. He said afterwards that it was the strangest thing he’s done in a while, and it made him feel sexy.

Paint Nights are very stimulating for all participants. The simple act of painting a pretty picture tickles the primary motor cortex of the brain which makes friendly people even more receptive to social programming. Its Julia’s belief that this healthy activity streamlines the complicated act of making new friends. Painting breaks down barriers, and the people who came out that evening soon found themselves relaxed and having a good time.

The Male Model was Made More Adorable by Jennifer Turner of Modern Makeup

The handsome Martin Dasko of Studenomics was specifically selected to sharply contrast Laura’s distinctly feminine messaging.  This physic is inspirational and it seem hard to imagine how anyone could improve such a naturally beautiful man.  However, it happened. One hour before the show started, Martin was expertly groomed by makeup artist Jennifer Turner.

It wasn’t enough to have an attractive man as the subject for this artistic exercise; Martin’s muscular body needed even more adornment. A chunky silver necklace, two solid silver bracelets, and a thick solid silver skull ring were lent to Laura for the show by an upscale jeweler she knows…

Lent for one night to the production, the silver ornamentation was all handmade by On the Other Hand custom jewellery in Toronto.  It’s worth noting that the lustrous accessories had a trans-formative affect on our hero.  Wearing these resplendent creations made the man feel more confident, and more ‘adorable’. The high fashion silver jewellery literally ennobled the subject.  In this way, Laura created a ‘noble savage’ with great masculinity to contrast the theme of feminine solidarity in the manifesto she was set to debut later in the evening.

The bright silver ornaments were specially selected to contrast Martin’s well tanned skin and animal print apparel.

The animal print costume was part of the initial plan and made it through all stages of creative planning and acquisition. Here is an image Laura snapped while buying leopard print textile at Designer Fabric in Toronto.

Leopard print fleece textile was obtained at Designer Fabrics in Toronto and was waiting for Martin Dasko when he appeared at the restaurant. But it had not been cut into a costume yet, so the wait staff had fun trying their hands at styling the evening’s hero.

The leopard print loin cloth was fashioned on-site by many hands. Everyone had some idea of how the cavemen suit should look, and there was enough material to try several different approaches.  After some waitresses at the restaurant tried their hands, Jennifer Turner of Modern Makeup arrived and took over and styled Martin as a ‘couture caveman’ in a Fred Flintstone style frock which was initially conceived with a shoulder strap.

Martin was coiffed as a cute cavemen by Jennifer Turner of Modern Makeup

Laura Bilotta was among one of the last people to arrive at the venue, and almost upon entry, she asked Jennifer to remove Martin’s shoulder strap.  This meant that Jenn would have to do the costume all over again, but I dont think she minded.  Laura insisted saying that the seat belt shaped strap covered the paint subject’s best feature, pointing out Martin’s well-developed pectoral muscles.

Jenn wrote a detailed account of styling the paint night on her Modern Makeup blog.  She wrote on how she “brightened the area under his eyes and hid a bit of redness. He had never had his makeup done before so he wasn’t sure what to expect. Luckily he trusted me and I didn’t make him look ridiculous. Laura wanted me to oil Martin’s chest but instead I applied a little bit of extra shadow and highlight to showcase his muscles.”

Jennifer applied make-up to the entire top half of Martin’s body. She used her brushes to tone his face and accentuate his muscles. While many observers didn’t think Martin’s body could be improved, Jenn really proved her skills as the finished product, a perfectly coifed caveman, was even more compelling.

Single in the City’s very first Paint Night event began humbly with some opening remarks from Laura who introduced Julia Chatterji of Studio paint Bar and Martin Dasko the noble savage to twelve female painters. The assembly of eager artists wet their brushes with anticipation as they surveyed the subject waiting to be sketched and coloured on their canvases.

The gender specific event concept corresponds with something else Laura has been working on for a few weeks, something she calls The Wing Woman Collective. This is a new archetypal behaviour model that is defined in part by a central Wing Woman Code of Honour.

Laura Bilotta Used the All-Female Audience to Debut her Wing Woman Collective

In the shadow of the #MeToo movement, and in connection with our society’s reaction to powerful men preying on younger women, Laura unveiled a code of conduct for Wing Women.

What is a Wing Woman? A Wing Woman is a charismatic female who helps both boys and girls meet new people romantically while not actively seeking companionship herself.

As the ladies painted their pictures, and while Martin stood silently listening, Laura listed the Ten Rules in the Wing Woman Code of Conduct.  This will certainly be its own blog post on Single in the City at some future date, but until then you can see some of these commandments listed in order in the photo opposite (which expands when clicked).

After a relaxing ten-minute break in which some delicious appetizers were served, the ladies returned to their brushes to put the finishing touches on their masterpieces.

When the evening wrapped up, and participants were starting to get a little antsy; the painters were waving their canvases around to dry the paint enough for travel. It was at that moment Keith Travers appeared in the restaurant with an armful of empty picture wooden frames.

Keith Travers is the builder behind Eastview Homes, Oakville, Burlington building contractor. Being an artist himself,  Mr Travers really enjoyed himself as he joined Laura and Julia  traipsing around the paint studio selecting the best images to win the walnut frames.

Everyone came away with something. All the participants who came out that night got SWAG bags stuffed with cosmetic samples, skin moisturizing products and gift certificates from Mississauga hair salons and beauty bars. Plus, they all got to keep their paintings of course, and the five best works-of-art got frames.

More importantly, this unique Paint Night experience marks another milestone in the continued evolution of Single in the City’s premium event management service. This is how Laura Bilotta maintains her reputation for pioneering new formats, pushing the envelope of creativity, while maintaining a safe environment for clients making lifelong connections.