Small Business Spotlight: Veteran and mom opens paint studio in Raleigh with party vibes

There's a new paint studio in Raleigh. UB Paint'n & Sip'n offers drop-in painting and paint parties with fun artwork designed by the owner herself.

Owner Juanita Cotton, a veteran and single mom, spent the last 18 years working full-time and caring for her son. Now it's her turn to shine.

Cotton moved to Clayton 18 years ago after retiring from the Air Force as an aviation resource manager. She just opened her first business, UB Paint'n & Sip'n, in the heart of downtown Raleigh at 208 Fayetteville St.

Cotton said she loved art even as a child, especially when there were no kids around to play with.

"I used to just sit at the kitchen table and draw all the time," she said.

As an adult, drawing and painting became a way to relieve stress. It was actually her son JeJuan's idea to open the business.

"He was like, 'Mom, you're like really good. You need to open a paint and sip,'" Cotton recalled.

As her biggest motivator, JeJuan kept bugging her about it, and in a span of a few months, she found a space. UB Paint'n & Sip'n is one of several small businesses in the same building that houses Raleigh's Original Selfie Museum. It's also where Liberation Station, Raleigh's first Black-owned children's bookstore, will open in June.

Cotton kept prices affordable and the studio schedule flexible so people can have the perfect experience. You can either walk in when the studio is open and choose a pre-sketched canvas to paint or request something original -- your pet, a favorite cartoon or a celebrity. There's no limit.

Cotton said it's a relaxed space and a place people can party with a group or paint alone to unwind.

"I want this to be a nonjudgmental space where people can come and leave all their problems at the door, whether it be from work, relationships, or just any kind of stress -- they can come here and just connect, let their hair down and have a really good time," she said.

Cotton, who has experienced her own hardships, hopes others also find painting to be therapeutic.

"[Painting] helped me through rough spots, and I'm trying to set up the same thing for other people who may be going through stuff," Cotton said. "I call it a safe space."

Customers bring their own beer or wine, but everything else is provided -- canvases, paints, brushes, easels, aprons, glasses and bottle openers -- even snacks.

The space is small and intimate. Cotton can turn on the party lighting and turn up the music for groups or host families with children who want to paint.

"Not everyone likes a crowd," she said. "Some people are introverts -- they want to get out but they don't want a large crowd ... this is the space for them."

Cotton has special plans for the future. Her biggest dream is to bring a mobile art studio to women's shelters.

"I'm super excited about the whole experience and what's to come," she said. "The future is big, and I just keep going. I just try to help people. Even though I might not be where I want to be, still, it shouldn't stop me from helping somebody else."

How to get to UB Paint'n & Sip'n

UB Paint'n and Sip'n is open now at 208 Fayetteville St. It's a suite inside the Efird's building at the same address, behind Raleigh Raw and DECO. Enter the building with the Original Selfie Museum sign.

Artists can walk-in during business hours or request a time slot on the website. You can also request a custom drawing to paint with a group or by yourself.

Visit the website or Instagram for more.