One Idea Grows into three creative ventures
The Monopalette Technique started because I wanted to learn to paint faces, but I was forever getting lost in all the tiny details. So I came up with my own way of simplifying a photograph into five shades of a single colour. Suddenly, painting a recognizable portrait felt a whole lot less complicated.
Then I started wondering: if I could simplify the process this much, could someone who'd never picked up a paintbrush create a portrait they were proud of?
There was only one way to find out.
I HAD A THEORY. 33 PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO TEST IT.
I decided to put my theory to the test by organizing a Paint Your Pet workshop. I didn't know how many people I could handle at once, but the venue had room for 20, so I ran with that.
Apparently, other people were just as curious about the idea as I was.
The workshop sold out, more than a dozen people ended up on the waitlist, and somehow I wound up welcoming 33 people to an event I'd planned for 20. Oops!
It was exciting, a little chaotic, and exactly the proof I was looking for. People who didn't consider themselves artists were creating portraits of their own pets, and suddenly I was getting requests to bring the experience to other communities around the province.
What started as a way to prove a point made me curious to see what else could come of this.
DEMAND WAS SPREADING LIKE CAT HAIR. I HAD NINE LIVES, BUT NONE TO SPARE FOR WINTER DRIVING.
The requests started coming in from communities all over Manitoba. Some people drove as far as 200 km to attend a workshop. Others wanted me to bring Paint Your Pet to their hometowns.
The Learning Experience
I developed an online training program that walked creatives through the process of launching their own Paint Your Pet workshops. I covered everything from learning the Monopalette Technique to planning classes, attracting customers, and building a business around their creativity.
Ready-to-Use Marketing Materials
I created customizable social media templates, promotional captions, and campaign resources to remove barriers for new instructors. By giving them ready-to-use marketing tools, I made it easier to promote their workshops with confidence. Right out of the gate.
The Instructor Toolkit
I went beyond teaching the technique, developing practical resources to help instructors plan, promote, prepare and run their own workshops. From welcome scripts and promotional calendars to supply recommendations and post-class checklists, I wanted to remove as much guesswork as possible so they could focus on creating a great experience for their customers.
“Errin has made the whole process of becoming an instructor for Paint Your Pet classes as enjoyable as she made taking the class in the first place.”
— Katy Martin, Artist, Art Teacher & Monopalette Master Course Graduate
Paint Your Pet Kits: Taking the Experience Home
I was always paying attention to feedback, and it didn't take long to notice two recurring themes. Some people couldn't make the scheduled workshops, while others wanted to paint more than one pet.
Naturally, that got me thinking. Why should the experience depend on being in the same room as me?
So I developed an at-home Paint Your Pet Kit that gave customers everything they needed to create their own portrait. Each kit included a canvas prepared from their pet's photo, paints, brushes, and access to an instructional video I scripted, filmed, and edited myself.
It gave customers more flexibility and let the idea grow beyond the workshops I could personally teach.
From Workshop to Product
I designed the kit to recreate the workshop experience at home, from the personalized canvas and prepared paints to the packaging and instructions. Every detail had to be practical, easy to follow, and approachable for someone painting on their own.
Teaching Beyond the Workshop
Without me there to guide them in person, customers needed instructions they could follow at their own pace. I scripted, filmed, and edited a step-by-step instructional video, accessible through a QR code included in every kit. It was a chance to bring my teaching style into a different format and adapt the experience so that it was approachable, even without me in the room.
Customer Care
These weren't generic paint-by-number kits. Every order started with a customer's own pet photo, which I transformed using my Monopalette process and transferred onto their canvas. I also prepared the paints in their chosen colour, so each kit was made specifically for the person receiving it.
Well, that escalated.
Looking back, it's kind of funny how one thing kept leading to another. I'd solve one problem, and before long, another idea would pop into my head.
I certainly didn't set out to create three different ways for people to paint their pets. But somewhere between that first workshop, the requests from customers, and all the little challenges that came up along the way, that's exactly what happened.
Of course, making it happen meant wearing about a dozen different hats. I was developing a brand, creating marketing campaigns, designing products, producing videos, building educational resources, and occasionally learning things the hard way. But that's the part I love. Taking an idea, pulling it apart, figuring out what makes it work, and seeing just how far it can go.
And to think, it all started because I wanted to figure out how to paint a face.