When retired pastor Rick Graves purchased a paint store in 2016, he had no idea it would lead to him meeting, falling in love with and marrying his wife Janet. Graves moved to Waupaca, Wisconsin, where The Paint Store had been operating for over 20 years, after his first wife passed away from cancer, making the jump from leading a church to owning and operating a paint store.
Wanting to offer something different and bring in new customers, Graves added painting classes called “Paint & Palette,” where customers come to the store to create a canvas painting. The paint store provides all of the supplies for the classes, which are offered several times a month, cost $45 per class and are open to any customers ages 12 and up. Customers can also book private painting parties for larger groups.
“When we were working through the details, my son sent a mass email to our customers asking for an art teacher to lead the classes,” Graves says. “Janet was a retired art teacher and wanted to start teaching again. She came in for an interview, and that interview led to her earning the job teaching Paint & Palette. We got to know each other and eventually got married.”
