For Bobbi White painting her own blank canvas while on a family vacation transported her to a deep state of relaxation and happiness. She knew she wanted to bring that same feeling home with her to Amherst and share it with others.
Whet Your Palette was born shortly after her return from Reno, Nevada, in October 2013. Unlike the many brick-and-mortar concepts popping up all over the area, her business would travel to local restaurants, wineries and private parties. 
Five years later, White has three teachers and offers three creative classes, including canvas painting, wine glass painting and string art. 
“Acrylic painting is our main focus since we’re Whet Your Palette. But a lot of people like different things and some crafty things also, so we’ve been doing string art and that’s been working out really well,” she says. “It’s $35 a class if we come to your house or if you come to us.  That includes all materials — your canvas if you’re painting and your board, nails and string if you’re doing string art.”
Whet Your Palette sets itself apart from other concepts by offering convenience and great instructors, White says. 
“If you have 12 or more people and you want us to come to your house, we bring everything with us and set up. We have the class and clean up,” says White, whose husband, Jim, has been integral to its success and holds the title of head brush cleaner. “If it’s a party at one of my locations such as Paper Moon winery I buy you your first glass of wine, and if it’s a private party then its BYOB (bring your own bottle, not bring your own brush).” 
Private parties have been very successful for the on-the-go business, White says. “We’d like to have 12 people, but we can go up to 50. In fact, we did have one class of 50 people,” she adds. “We have really big parties in the summer outside in a big tent at Paper Moon. It’s a lot of fun.”
Chad DiFranco is Whet Your Palette’s main instructor and the art teacher at Amherst High School. Andrea Leach, a retired art teacher, heads the wine glass painting classes, and Christine Agostinelli instructs the popular string art classes. 
“Our teachers are really good,” White says. “They have taught for so many years that they break everything down step by step into the perfect order.”
Whet Your Palette hosts about three to five events a month. Children’s painting parties are also available. 
“The best thing that I like out of the whole thing is that I love my job and I’ve met so many wonderful people,” White says. “Some of them are actually really close friends and people who I would have never met if we weren’t doing this.”