What is perfect?

In the studio, you will find art quotes on our chalkboards. We put them up to help inspire our customers. In our day to day operation we see a lot of great people trying to make their project absolutely perfect. Really, we understand the need to make a project look nice, buy honestly ask yourself....what is perfect?

I can't count how many times I have looked into the eyes of a teary child who has just painted one brush stroke too many, or touched a spot on their art piece that was just a little more wet than they expected and smeared a design.

Never fear, the art teacher is here! Sometimes I can fix it, and sometimes ya' just have to make it work. When creating art, there is a lot to be said of just accepting whatever happens. It's made by hand after all, and as humans we are not perfect. (can you find the extra line? and the one that got a little thicker than I planned in this owl?)

Perfect is in the eye of the beholder. We all have a different definition of what perfect is. I can't tell you how many times I have painted something and didn't really like it, but then I ended up selling it and the person who bought it found it "perfect" for them. On the contrary, I have made items that I thought were perfect, and no-one wanted to purchase them.

So, when I have one of those teary eyed clients. We asses the situation, and determine what the plan of attack will be to make something that fits in their definition of perfect. Sometimes it's a matter of wiping off a little paint, and repainting a little paint. Sometimes a drip becomes a heart or a flower. Sometimes a drip becomes more drips and dots that turn to silly laughter. Almost always that moment of "mistake" turns to a fun artistic discovery--ironically, one that wasn't possible without that initial mistake.

There are times when it pays to be perfect. If you are writing a blog and you can't spell, your readers might find you less credible because of your spelling errors. If you are balancing your check book, it's not going to be OK if you think you have $500 more in the account than is actually there. But would anyone know that a purple drop of paint, turned into a cute flower on a pigs face was originally a mistake? I won't tell if you don't.

Get creative over your spring break!!!

Spring is just around the corner and we wanted to show you these fun projects you can make to brighten up your spring decor!!

Cute bunnies! We have just stocked in a couple of different styles. Easter bunnies are very popular in home decor right now! These ceramic ones can be painted anyway you like--super colorful or try this natural and very trendy "patina" look. We used acrylic paints, a metallic paint and a reactive paint to give these bunnies a fun patina. All supplies are provided in the studio, and staff will show you how easy it is to paint these. The paints are non-toxic, so even little kids can make these.

Easter Eggs are a popular item in the studio. We have tons of families that come back year after year to make eggs. It's fun to put them out each year, and see how the family has grown, and how different the eggs come out year after year. We have a lot of eggs in our inventory right now. You can paint eggs with acrylic paint and take them home with you the same day, or you can paint the eggs with glaze paints, and then wait for firing (takes about 7 - 10 days)





Egg plates are in! We get a lot of requests for deviled egg plates,

and this is the time of year we typically have them in stock! There are some fun ideas for decorating an egg plate on our Easter Pinterest page HERE

Clay projects for spring:
Here area  couple of fun ideas to do with  your kids! Clay hand building is always available in our studio as a walk-in activity (just like painting on pottery) Our staff will give you a few simple tips and tricks to get you started and you can make your own creation. Clay takes a little longer to create and to get back, so make sure you allow yourself plenty of time. Creating in the studio will take about 2 hours, especially if you opt to paint your project on the same day. If you opt to have your item fired, it takes up to 2 weeks for us to schedule them in the kiln, so allow a little extra time if you need your project by certain time. After you paint your project the items must be fired, and takes another 7 to 10 days to get back (a total of 3 to 4 weeks from start to finish)

First Communion and Confirmation gifts.
We love these crosses and what a great gift idea for someone who is celebrating a milestone in theirreligious journey. Have you tried our screen print tools yet? That brown stencil laying on the cross is a screen print. All you have to do is smear paint over the screen, and it applies the design to your project.  The project below is a finished project recently completed by a first time painter in the studio!

What ever kind of project you are looking to make, we are here to help make your spring break time fun and entertaining. Walk-ins are always welcome, and we take reservations too!

Canvas Painting
We have a number of ways for you to learn how to paint on canvas. We have a weekly adult class at Brother's Bar and grill, we offer walk-in during our open studio hours AND we offer private classes for groups of four or more! Check out the video below for details on our canvas!