Our Lacey, WA Painting with a Twist Artists

Ashley

Ashley is a local scenic artist and theatre educator. She loves to build community through the arts and to help you access your own inherent creativity! A lifelong animal lover, she particularly enjoys painting pets, wildlife, and nature scenes. When not singing and dancing on the Painting With a Twist stage, you can find her working both on and offstage at various theatres across the South Sound as a performer, choreographer, director, or set painter. You can see more of her work at @EarthsideArtDesign on Instagram. We’ll see you in the studio!

Aelin

Aelin is a dabbler in many mediums, and with a background in architecture and design, they love structure, and appreciate rule bending originality, too! Within the local community, they’ve also had the joy of helping a handful of businesses find their authentic style and build lasting connections. When they’re leading a Twist class, they’re here to keep things lively and adaptable, encouraging you create something you’ll love taking home. When they’re not painting, you’ll find them tearing up the dance floor, hiking around the Sound, and pulling tarot cards with their cat. You can find their art in the wild at Olympia Baking Co, Bula Bar Cafe, and on instagram @aelin.the.alien

Cat

Cat is an artist, poet, and lifelong storyteller with roots in theater tech and set design—including serving as Paint Head for several productions. She studied a bit of art in college but worked as a cake decorator, then Makeup-Artist-turned-Esthetician, and instructor. Her favorite part of teaching at Painting with a Twist is helping each guest find their own way into the painting. She believes art belongs to everyone and loves creating a welcoming space where people can experiment, adapt the process, and discover what they’re capable of with no experience required. Outside the studio, she’s usually writing speculative fiction, spending time with her cats and Shiba Inu (who is pretty much a cat), or wandering local trails in search of inspiration—and a possible alliance with the neighborhood crows. Around town, you may spot her zipping by on her little pink scooter, headed toward the library, a new adventure, or some other delightful nonsense.

Catherine

Catherine Stolberg — Owner Catherine is the owner of Painting with a Twist Lacey and loves creating a place where people can step away from everyday life, connect with others, and enjoy being creative. Her career has taken a few interesting turns along the way. Catherine began as a flight attendant with Alaska Airlines before moving into management as an Inflight Manager. She later earned two degrees in Information Technology and went on to work in IT for the State of Washington, retiring in 2022. Not quite ready for a quiet retirement, Catherine began talking about opening a Painting with a Twist studio later that year. What started as an idea became a year-long journey of planning, building, and creating the studio from the ground up before Painting with a Twist Lacey opened its doors in 2024. Catherine envisioned the studio as more than a place to paint. She wanted to create a welcoming, upbeat space where adults could gather for date nights, celebrations, girls’ nights, special events, or simply an evening out—and where even someone who has never picked up a paintbrush can feel comfortable being creative. Outside the studio, Catherine loves gardening, traveling, spending time with her grandchildren, and finding her next project. She believes creativity should be fun, approachable, and something everyone deserves a little more of in their life.

Emily

Meet Emily Emily brings a whole lot of fun—and plenty of artistic flair—to the studio! With 12 years of experience with Painting with a Twist, she brings a wealth of creativity and experience to every event she teaches. Emily has created several original paintings for our studio, and her artistic talents are matched by a personality that makes everyone feel like a friend. She's warm, outgoing, and has a wonderful way of connecting with the people she meets. And when the paintbrushes are put down and the karaoke starts, don't expect Emily to sit quietly on the sidelines—she can really belt it out! Talented, fun, and a friend to everyone she meets, Emily brings an energy to the studio that we're lucky to have at Painting with a Twist – Lacey.