The moment you step into A Flick of the Wrist Splatter and Paint Studio, you can feel a vivacious buzz. It’s not the location of the studio, but the energy that owners Jennifer Briddes and Bonnie Stritzinger bring to their mobile hub for creativity and accepting community. Their space is all about encouraging people to unleash their creativity without restraint, and they are constantly reinventing what it means to run a business by challenging concepts of boring professionality with unique and inventive business ventures.
The experiences at A Flick of the Wrist are designed to push the expectations that are put on traditional canvas painting settings. The studio does splatter art, which centers fun and play in the artistic experience; the works of splatter art do not look like Van Gogh paintings, but that’s not what Jennifer and Bonnie want from anyone who shares their space. It’s much smarter to have an art studio that improves peoples’ creative lives compared to one that excludes the majority of any small-town it stops in. Within the category of splatter art, A Flick of the Wrist’s studio offers unique experiences for all sorts of painters. Maybe you’re having a special event for someone in your life, and you think they’d enjoy shutting off the lights and painting with neon colors to be revealed under UV lighting! You might also have a child who wants to play the drums while they’re dipped in paint, creating a room-wide splatter and cacophony of colorful percussion. Even the family pet can get involved; the studio has had many instances of getting a dog’s paw dipped to add to a family painting or just to decorate a canvas. And these opportunities are not just limited to the physical studio—A Flick of the Wrist boasts the first-ever Mobile Splatter Unit in the U.S., which means they bring the art right to schools, birthday parties, and community events. This traveling studio aims that more people can enjoy the thrill of creating art without even leaving their neighborhood. It’s a concept that invites everyone, no matter where they are, to embrace their creativity.
Bonnie and Jennifer, who are a power couple at home and in business, bring their unique backgrounds to the table, making the studio not just a storefront, but an evolving passion project. Bonnie transitioned from education to entrepreneurship—she was driven by her watching art programs get cut from school hours due to budget cuts. Her commitment to creativity is a constant theme in everything she does, and she still works as a first grade educator! Jennifer has faced many significant challenges throughout her life, including battling through the foster care system, advocating for support for disabilities, and experiencing the juvenile justice system. She has channeled these experiences into her business ventures by establishing a high standard of care in all the work that she does. Jennifer and Bonnie are a lesbian power couple, and their power lies in the ability to bring joy to so many others. Their mobile splatter unit is one example, but they have and will keep thinking outside the box, like when they founded Delaware County’s first ax-throwing business.
Jennifer’s personal journey as a mother of an autistic child has deeply influenced how A Flick of the Wrist operates. The studio is a place where people of all abilities are welcomed and accommodated. In seeing her son able to get out social and creative energies in one place, she and Bonnie realized the need to make this studio a community space. It’s designed to accommodate wheelchairs, and the staff is trained comprehensively to assist with sensory needs, ensuring that everyone can take part in the fun. No matter a person’s financial situation, Jennifer and Bonnie are also committed to making their services affordable, often working with families to create personalized experiences without breaking the bank. “When in doubt, splatter it out,” is a motto they stand by—these women challenge ideas of professionality by proving that prioritizing community over profit is itself means to grow a business. Their studio will always be a welcoming third space where people can simply hang out and unwind if they so please. Art education is the business model, but being a general creative outlet for locals is not antithetical to this vision. Sometimes we all want a casual, relaxed environment to explore our artistic side.
A Flick of the Wrist Splatter and Paint Studio caters to a wide range of artistic preferences, from small, personal home decor pieces to massive commissioned works. Families often create keepsakes, and artists in the area have collaborated with Jennifer and Bonnie in the studio. Since opening up, they’ve received positive recognition, including the Mainline Accessible Birthday Party Award, which celebrates their efforts in making art available to everyone. The couple has been on The Blox, a reality show for entrepreneurs, and they want to take their experience on the show far forward.
If they keep up their current trajectory, the vision is to not only build more mobile studios, do more collaborations, and change more communities for the better; they want to jumpstart the entire art education approach in the United States. Getting drumsticks and neon paints in the hands and paws of the country’s youth will yield fantastic turnaround for the quality of life and ability for our society to grow as a whole. Believe in this power couple, and see the results of making a big splatter.
Published by: Martin De Juan
