Mercedes Price Harry’s typical work attire—sandals, tie-dyed T-shirt and a pair of jeans ruined by vivid splashes and spatters of acrylic paint—is a significant divergence from the business suit and heels she once wore as a pharmaceutical sales representative. The contrast reflects the radical change that the owner of Vino’s Picasso has experienced since 2010.

The Fort Myers resident’s story is a colorful one of a four-year emotional rollercoaster ride that sometimes left her breathless. From her and her husband’s simultaneous losses of lucrative careers to tapping into retirement savings to pay the mortgage, the family’s financial challenges were compounded by her husband’s back surgery and her four-year old son’s exorbitant medical bills from bouts with asthma. Additional learning trials came with creating a new business from scratch.

At ease with telling stories that reveal her vulnerability, Price Harry is happy to have such chaotic times more distant than the backseat of her car, where the latest addition to her family, a four-month-old daughter, is safely buckled into her car seat.

At present, Price Harry’s mind is more occupied with a business that nourishes her soul. The idea reignited a passion for art and wine that she developed during her college years while waiting on tables at a bed and breakfast. “When I started this, no one in our area had ever heard of my unusual concept for combining painting lessons for every skill level with entertaining art instructors, upbeat music and a boutique wine bar with a funky eclectic menu of wines and craft beers,” she says.

While in South Carolina with her sister in early 2011, Price Harry experienced the basic model for the first time. “I had so much fun that I was euphoric when I departed with my painting. I also had thoughts about what I could do to improve it,” says Price Harry, who expanded on the idea in her Fort Myers and Naples locations by adding a boutique wine bar and Starving Artists’ art gallery, where she features local artists.

Her seasonal location at the Matlacha Island gallery of well-known artist Leoma Lovegrove allows for fun and artistic expression using Lovegrove’s gardens and impressionist art. “Leoma and I were friends before I opened my first studio in Fort Myers. When she found out about what I was doing through our newsletter, she called me and wanted us to work together in some way,” recounts Price Harry. “We decided on a few paint, pour and play dates in her gardens, which are a fun assemblage of plants and flowers indigenous to the island, colorful painted bridges, mosaic walkways, wrought-iron tables and chairs under coconut palms with painted trunks and multitudes of midnight blue bottle trees.”

In all of the studios, Price Harry provides the paint, palette, brushes, canvas, apron and corkscrew for opening the participant’s personal bottle of wine, as well as casual instruction and cleanup. “Of course, I also add the fun. You leave with your new masterpiece,” she quips.

“Enjoying wine and learning how to paint is a great combination and makes my heart sing,” she adds. “It frequently does the same for anyone who picks up a brush and joins us. Painting is proven therapy for the soul, which is why our local artists, who provide the lessons and tips, trade pretension and structure for sheer fun and enjoyment.”

For people interested in learning to paint for personal pleasure and satisfaction, Vino’s Picasso is a great outlet. The company also offers open paint sessions, Kiddo Picasso sessions, mobile paint parties in private homes and private parties at Vino’s locations.

Vino’s Picasso, 15250 S. Tamiami Trl., Ste. 109, Fort Myers, 239-288-6953; 2367 Vanderbilt Beach Rd. Ste. 805, Naples, 239-431-8750. Visit VinosPicasso.com.