When West Columbia’s Candace Thompson started her mobile paint-and-sip operation, she didn’t own a car. Now she’s opening a brick-and-mortar location in Lexington.

In 2017, the self-taught artist worked for Paint Night in Columbia. The Charleston franchise brought the popular concept (wherein people paint and drink wine or other beverages) to restaurants around town. When the Columbia operation went away, she waited about a month before starting her own paint-and-sip business, Canvases With Candace.

“My idea of starting my company was that I would meet people where they were, so I would go out to them instead of having them come to a building,” she explained.

The endeavor has been successful enough that she’s anchoring the business to a physical location in the Hope Plaza shopping center at 1812 Augusta Hwy. The grand opening for the space will happen on Nov. 20 from 2 to 5 p.m.

But while she’s opening a physical, Thompson still believes in her mobile concept. And it will remain a foundation for her company, as she heads out to people’s homes and other spaces to lead them in libation-enhanced painting classes. Throughout the pandemic, she has added virtual offerings, which she also plans to continue.

“The advantage is that I really get to see people in their true environment,” Thompson said. “And so it fosters this element of creativity.

“When you go out in places, you get nervous. It’s kind of like the same idea of singing in the shower versus singing karaoke. In the shower, it’s all fun and games, and then you get to karaoke and you’re like, ‘Ahhhh!’ You’re super scared. And it’s kind of the same way when you meet people in their home or in their environment that they choose, they’re just a little more open to creativity.”

Outside of her business, Thompson often paints murals. She painted a hallway at the Immersion SC art space in downtown Columbia, and she painted the trolley used by Lexington’s Blended Bakery.

Through her business, she seeks to help her students get similar value out of art, attempting to help them process life lessons, be they from friends, family or work colleagues.

“I do believe that our lives are all masterpieces,” Thompson offered. “We really get to go out here and paint a new picture every single day with what we do.”

With the brick-and-mortar operation, she hopes to add services that bolster what she’s already doing. She said she frequently gets requests for more individualized instruction, which can be hard to make work with the time and expense required to bring the classes to the students. Thompson also said she will be hiring an additional instructor, so that the on-site and mobile classes can happen at the same time.

The physical location will have a kids club on Saturday, where parents can drop off children to paint while they run errands or simply take a break. Thompson also said she hopes to hold game nights with activities like Taboo or Pictionary.

“It’s not necessarily beneficial for me to travel everywhere to do one or two people,” she said. “[It allows] people who may not have a group of friends to network, build other friends and build them in a creative environment.

“Maybe your home isn’t conducive because we’ve all been stuck in the house for the last year or so to where you don’t feel as creative there anymore. And so now you do need that outlet.”

As to why Lexington made sense for the location, she explained that it’s an easy commute from her home off Augusta Road in West Columbia and that 90% of her customer base is from out that way. Thompson also said that it gets her away from the city center of Columbia, which is already populated with similar paint-and-sip operations.

But beyond the logical reasons, she expressed a more sentimental attachment to her new space.

“My company motto is ‘unlock the artist within,’ and I actually found a building where the hallway is cut in the shape of a keyhole.” Thompson said. “It couldn’t have been more perfect.”