My daughter and I had a play date here. It was quite nice, we all had a great time. Prices were reasonable and the kids were happy with their "painting" projects. I am going back for a lesson in glass fusing. read more

Aaron is rude, point blank. She has a very sarcastic personality and that's fine but not okay with customers. I took my son who is 7 & she clearly had something against him. She kept talking to, complimenting & praising another little boy who was there. Maybe it was because my son questioned her about the few of the colors she have him. He asked for blue and she kept saying that is blue it will dry bright like the tile. Then I said well it does look a little on the green side and she insisted it was a bright blue & walked away. Well guess what... I picked up my sons Spiderman piggy bank and it was red and green. I'm so mad. I paid $38 for a red & greed spiderman. My son said see I told her it wasn't blue mom! I plan to call her when I have calmed a bit. But yeah she didn't bother to speak any friendly words to my son. My son even asked why she wasn't talking to him. I could care less but that hurt my sons feelings. She bossy too. I felt like it was the first day on a new job. I didn't enjoy the time, I felt uncomfortable & like an outcast as she made it clear which customers she liked the best lol. Oh and then she gave me info for the summer camp! Yeah right! Kids sitting and painting indoors all day? That sounds more like torture to me for a child who isn't into art like that. She wouldn't even speak to my son and got annoyed when he was asking about colors. Won't be back there. I'll put up an update after I speak to her about the green spiderman. Hopefully she does the right thing. read more

I was very disappointed with the treatment we received there. The owner treated us with disdain and contempt. I went in here recently with two friends. One of my friends had a gift certificate. When we walked in, the friend with the gift certificate greeted the owner, pulled out the gift certificate, and said, "Hi, we have a gift certificate. What should we do to get started here?". The owner sarcastically shot back, "Okay?! Congratulations, you have a gift certificate. Good for you! What do you want me to do?! You want money?! I don't care if you have a gift certificate, I like cash." We were stunned by her impoliteness and unprofessional behavior. She then gave us some directions and set us up with paints, etc. The remainder of the visit was tainted and we do not plan to go back. Hand painting a ceramic vase is not worth the humiliation. read more

I called 7 times to try to speak to someone because I have never been..the internet site says open 7 days a week..the phone recording says open 7 days a week..so I thought maybe they are really busy when first opening..totally understand that..so I pack my kids into the car and drive there...nope...closed..even the store front times say its open 7 days a week..either way if you open late on mondays or not open at all...please change your phone recording message and the internet site and your window times of operation..thanks.. read more

As always, Aran was wonderful and I got to try a new technique! She was teaching people how to create a sort of marbled look with acrylic paint on canvas. It's always an adventure whenever I go to Aran's, but it was very nice to try an adult evening event instead of a daytime visit or kids event. The late night session was so laid back and wonderful! read more

I was really disappointed with my experience here. Two pieces got splattered by someone else's paint. I found the owner to be unhelpful and the customer service was overall very poor. I wanted to do another project with my daughter and decided to try Color Me Mine in Alameda. I was very pleased with the whole experience there, from their selection, prices, and customer service. I live here in CV but will drive to a business that knows how to treat their customers. read more

My review is based on a paint n sip event. I had a good time, but that's only because I wanted to.. this was my first paint event, but won't be my last. I will probably look into another studio for such an event though. I don't feel they were prepared. The website said to bring your own drinks but they didn't have wine glasses or ice to accommodate your favorite beverage. The instructor was a bit dry, but nice and patient. It was quiet overall and any outburst of laughter was definitely heard and out of place. It would be fun if you went with a group of friends because it's basically as fun as you make it. Overall it was a good first time experience. read more

I thought hard about writing this review, but then thought it to be necessary, so improvement can be made. I have been patronizing Aran's for quite a few years now, and I am now ready to tell the truth to all the parents who come here with their "kids". Parents, your children are in desperate need of learning some manners ! You as well. Apple does not fall far from the tree - duh !! I will NOT be patronizing this store any longer. Say thanks to your customers Aran ... read more

Aran's Art Studio is loads of fun! I personally love the glass fusion part! I took my 5 year old grandson there and he enjoyed every moment of making his ceramic piece and his glass fusion piece! I also went with a group of 17 people from work on one of the evenings they stay open until midnight! It was a blast! everyone had a wonderful time creating a beautiful piece of art. If you are looking for a different kind of get together with your friends and co workers, this is it! read more

Aran's is art for the people! This is a charming place to while away an afternoon with some cool people and nice projects. Choose from pre-painted ceramics, fused glass, thrown-clay among other things. Plenty of wonderful colored glazes and finished projects to look at for inspiration. It has a real community feel to it with a kid's area and toys to keep little ones occupied while parents create something. Our daughter is attending their summer art camp this week and has come home each afternoon very excited about what she's learned. It runs from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm weekdays. It's $250 for a week or $50 to drop in. Basically anyone can drop by any time during business hours and pick up a project. You'll see young, old, everyone in there making something. So I recommend it. read more

This is one of my daughter's favorite places to go in Castro Valley. They have a nice selection of things to paint, staff is always helpful and friendly, and if you forget to pick your stuff up they seem to save it for a long time. She also attended a birthday party here which went really well. A great place for artists, kids, or just making a gift for someone. read more

It has taken me a long time to decide to write this review. I had such a bad experience here. Went with my kids who are very well behaved and were treated so bad. Twice! I gave Aran the benefit of the doubt and went back because my kids love painting but never again. She told me at least 5 times and has it posted in her shop, "picasso's mother didn't guide him." I totally got it and appreciated my children's work without any direction but then Aran stood over us the whole time telling us what to do and what not to do. She then told me to come back in a week to pick up our goods. When I returned exactly 1 week later nothing was ready. No big deal so we came back a few days later as instructed. Still not ready. 3 weeks later we got our items. 1 was chipped an the other was missing glaze in a few spots. Lesson learned! read more

Thursday nights are for art at Aran's. I'm learning so many new craft ideas and I've taken some of them home to continue on my own. It is so relaxing being there and I love Aran and I've met so many nice women there. (Men are welcome, too, but so few attend) I didn't know I had art talent, but I've even hung some of my projects on my walls. So sign up for a class and come on down! read more

I thought this place was reasonably priced. Suprisingly my bf enjoyed ceramic painting. I was disappointed that they were out of bowls, and they had a small selection of ceramics to chose from. I was annoyed that they charged extra for puffy paint. read more

This place is amazing! You can paint pottery, take glass fusing classes, put kids through summer camps, and take painting classes. Thank you Aran! read more

I came here recently on a Sunday just looking for something productive to do and wanting to also relive memories as a child of painting ceramics with my mom (she was quite talented so we did it very often). I wasn't disappointed, I selected a nice deep bowl and set to work painting it green and blue and made use of their stencil wall and painted a cat stencil at the bottom of the bowl (I'll be using this for my cat) and had a great time doing so. The price was reasonable as it included studio fees and supplies (which you usually separately pay for at other ceramic studios) and I got a call less than a week later that my little project was done. The staff was super friendly the whole time I was there and even offered to special order or make any pieces I was interested in painting that they didn't have (I was hoping for a trinket box). My only slight complaint is that the pices to pick from seem a little slim and I would have liked a little more selection. Everything else however was awesome! For $20 I got a cute little bowl for my cat and kept myself occupied, yet productive on a boring Sunday afternoon. Thats a good deal to me! read more

Aran's Art Studio - My bowl finished! - Art Classes Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Another CV gem. A great little spot to get your crafty on . Lots of variety to choose from. I'm no Picasso but I was very happy with how my mug turned out after a recent visit. Go in plug in your earphones and create... Or create with a friend for an artsy gossip session read more

I love Aran's. My daughter and I usually take one of her cousins or a friend during vacation time or on a weekend. Great rainy day spot. :-) read more

Brought my daughter's Girl Scout troop here to earn a badge. The girls had a great time painting their tiles and hanging out. The staff were wonderful, very patient and gave the girls (at no extra charge I might add!) a very nice tour of the studio, explaining all about the firing process and answering the M*A*N*Y questions 10 year old girls have about everything :-) Fun group activity! read more

Aran's Art Studio has been in business for 11 years. Just walking into the place feels like I've entered into a magical, bright, happy playroom. There are so many options. I made myself a whole set of dishes 6 years ago and still enjoy them. She has glass fusion for jewelry, bowls, plates and amazing art. I'm not an artist, but get compliments on some of my jewelry! A great place for kids - for birthday parties and making gifts for parents or grandma. I like the handprints. My church did a fundraiser here and we had a great time bonding. read more

I love this place. Great for children and adults. This would also be a fun place to spend time with family or even a date!

We held our daughters 9th birthday here. The kids had a blast with the glass and we were able to serve pizza and cake! The prices were great! read more

Had a great time painting Yesterday with Aran!! I didn't sign up in advance for her class just showed up. She allowed me and a friend to join. It was a great time read more

A great art studio for kids and adults. We have taken our daughter and niece to it during one of their kids night out. For $40 each, the kids created a cute wall art, had pizza & snacks and a whole lot of fun! We are definitely coming back again. read more

Aran's is great! They are flexible and you can have a group of friends go and have a great time. I love working with the fused glass.

I am a FAN! Over the years I have been coming into Aran's to work on ceramic pieces and always had a great experience. I used to bring my nieces in and we had a great time. We would work on our pieces, take a break and to to one of the nice restaurants in the Village, and back to Aran's to finish up. Now, I am into fusing and slumping glass. I had taken fusing and slumping classes at I Love Stained Glass and had a most unpleasant time with the fact that they seldom fired the pieces. Art work would sit on the shelfs for weeks. I needed to see how the fusing worked to continued and it was so frustrating not having our weekly pieces fired. It became a challenge to get any of my pieces done. That is when I head that Aran's was into fusing and slumping glass as well as the ceramics. I bolted across the street and have been there ever since. Aran is so knowledgeable and helpful. I can come in at any time and she is always availabe to help me. The price to fuse and slump glass is VERY reasonable. She is so accommodating. Also, she and her staff are up-to-date on all the various styles, tools, glass products and techniques and one can learn so much. The sky is the limit. I LOVE Aran's and encourage all in the area to come by and give it a shot. You won't be disappointed! read more

this place is bomb.com we went in and painted a day of the dead sugar skull for Halloween. the crowd was chill and very relaxed. we brought in some beers and were able to drink while painting. it was a great experience that I haven't had since elementary school. so it really brought me back to those days and the nostalgia was flowing. Aran was really friendly and helpful to every one who had little to no experience painting. I highly recommend coming in at least once to try this out! read more

Aran's Art Studio - day of the dead painting - Art Classes Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I thought this place was great until they broke our beautiful glass piece and thought that letting us do another was enough compensation. This is the least the owner could have done. She should refund us for that piece and let us do another piece. The owner is also overbearing and impatient. I agree with reviewer Michele N. She's not good at teaching someone how to do things, and she doesn't practice what she preaches "Picasso's mother didn't guide him.." read more

My kid got a gift certificate to use here for her birthday, and she had the best time painting her ceramic butterfly. Plenty of seats for friends to join in the fun - this place is a crafty person's heaven. read more

Ceramics painting, glass fusing, and management with a passion for passing on knowledge. Great for kids and adult parties alike. You need to check this place out, and go again and again. read more

I really like this place. We had my daughter's birthday party here 2 years in a row. Aran and her staff were nice and talked the kids through everything. There are lots of different activities for kids and adults depending on your price range. Birthday parties here are fun for the kids and easy for the parents. The kids work on their activity and the parents sit down and relax. Both times Aran allowed us to bring cupcakes for the birthday girl and kids, we sang happy birthday and Aran and her staff clean up the mess from the activity. Love this place. read more

I really liked this place they had a lot of different artistic options along with karaoke. You should definitely come check it out!

Thank you for such a wonderful, peaceful and nurturing place to come and paint. It was therapy. Granted, we came at a time when there were not very many people there, it might be different if you are coming during a crowded time or a kids' painting session. Jennifer was so helpful in showing us our options and setting us up, and casually made conversation throughout our stay making us feel comfortable and at home. The studio itself is nicely decorated, with a safe, friendly, easy going vibe that will keep me coming back for more painting sessions. read more

The lunch here is everything you could ask for from a soup/sandwich/salad cafe. The soup is often different and I've never had a bad one. Aran is really sweet and obviously a hard worker and the type of person with the type of business that you want to see succeed, and surprisingly enough, Castro Valley may be just the place for that to happen. Aran's is a million times better than anything else you'll find in the "Village" and if you're in CV looking for a good lunch, I'd highly recommend this place. read more

Anyone looking for a different and delicious lunch in Castro Valley MUST eat at Aran's/Haim's Cafe. The sandwiches are not ordinary. There's a chicken sandwich that's cooked in some sort of spicy mustard mix. It's got a lot of kick AND flavor. Their vegetarian sandwich could be simple with its avacado, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, but Aran's "kicks it up a notch" by adding a basil sauce that is divine. All their soups and sandwiches are made daily. Ingredients are fresh and distinct. Even on a hot summer day, their soups are refreshing and comforting. And while you're there...try painting a mug or dish. It's not only fun, but relaxing. read more

Attended a children's birthday party there-well tried to until the owner basically told us that we were taking over the party and to get out. Not a good way to lure in more potential customers in a struggling economy. I was thinking about painting something myself but was glad to save myself 30$ after listening to the owner bark at other parents...just sayin. I love Castro valley and Love to support our businesses and therefore think that Aran should hear this feedback. The studio itself is cute and fun and a great place to take kids 6 and over for parties or arts and crafts. read more

I love Aran's so much! I went there for the first time about 4 years ago for my daughter's birthday party, and have been going back regularly ever since. My favorite thing to do is glass fusing, our kids love the ceramic painting, and I adore their Late Night karaoke! It is truly an amazing place. Thank you, Aran! read more

Won't be returning. The place is cute and the owner is nice but they lost our items TWICE! We made 4 items and needed them by xmas, turns out 2 of the items were temporarily lost and not fired by accident so I had to return a second time to get the remaining items. They were super apologetic and gave me a coupon for next time but turns out its the same coupon they gave to everyone. Regardless, I was understanding and everyone makes mistakes. EXCEPT when I returned the 2nd time, turns out only one had been fired and the other item had been "lost" AGAIN. I had to return a 3rd time for the last item. I spent $150 there and made the 30 mile round trip drive 3 times, I would have thought they would have given some of my money back or a special discount for next time. read more

It's sad because the place is fun for kids and adults alike but Aran is RUDE. Not only to parents but she talked down to my 12yr old also. She seemed to get aggravated when my kid didn't answer her questions fast enough. Bottom line she is flat out rude. I guess she can be because her business seems to be doing well but be careful, Karma is a bitch...and it always comes around. Be Nice and appreciate ALL of your customers. They're why you make a living. read more

Aran's Art Studio is the best. I have taken my kids there a dozen or so times since 2008. I also took my team (I managed a group of 4 at Mervyn's HQ before they closed) to Aran's for a team building event. 2 of the ladies didn't think it would be fun, but after we were done they had been won over! It doesn't matter what you artistic skill level is, you can have fun and make magical memories at Aran's. My kids have done ceramics many times, my son recently started with glass fusing. He loves the glass fusing, it is so easy and the final product is gorgeous. I saw some people complain about prices, Arans is totally reasonable. My sister lives in San Diego and a similar sudio there charges $30 for a small coffee mug, Aran's charges $16. For the amazing memories and fun you have there it is totally worth the price. My family is VERY tight on $, but we manage to go to Aran's once a month or so. My house is rapidly filing with priceless artwork created by my kids. Yay for Aran, she is fabulous!!!! read more