i love coming here with my friends :) it's always a great experience. everyone is so nice and…read morehelpful, too.

Color me mine is so fun! I came for Valentines day and had the best time. They were also offering…read more50% off studio fees if you drew a flower and so that was kind as well. I would recommend coming here with friends or family!

I love the Studio Art School! Super cute place in downtown McHenry…read more A bunch of girlfriends and I did the paint class on Friday night -- it is $30 if you go by yourself, but if you bring a friend (or multiple) its $25 per person -- huge steal compared to places in the city. Reservations are required and on the website they show you what painting they do each Friday. BYOB, adults only class, and all supplies for painting are provided. You can also have your painting framed instantly for an additional $20 The instructor was super nice and fun, always encouraging a drink or two to boost your confidence if need be, lol. And everybody's painting turned out soo well!! I really can't wait to paint again!

Incredible helpful in providing aid, chalk paint and one on one service during the Covid…read morequarantine. I can't wait for classes to begin again. Lovely store, great location and all sorts of goodies!

One of our favorite birthday traditions!…read more The Painted Penguin is such a fun place to bring the kids and let them get creative! I bring my kids here every year for their birthdays, and they absolutely love picking out something to paint and spending time creating their own little masterpieces. It's also a great way to keep them busy and kill some time! Robin, the owner, is always so friendly and sweet, and the staff are just as helpful and welcoming. Everyone here makes the experience feel easy and fun. If you're looking for something fun to do with the kids, definitely check this place out! We'll be back again next year for our birthday tradition!

we had my daughter's 4th birthday here, and it went absolutely perfect. Robin and staff went above…read moreand beyond to make sure everything was organized, ran smoothly, and ever kid had a fun time. each child got to paint a personal pottery to take home. My daughter felt very special and loved all the personal touches to make her day perfect.

I brought my 5 year old grandson, and he loved being able to create his own dinosaur. it was…read moreexplained fully, and there was a wonderful selection of items and paints. very reasonably priced.

Cutest place to paint ceramics. They were so helpful with my kids and the turned out greatread more

I wanted to paint a ceramic Christmas tree to give as a gift, and did a lot of research to find one…read morethat was the size I was looking for made from a vintage mold. I'm so happy with how the tree turned out. It took more hours of painting than I expected, but the team there was good about giving me instructions. They play music and I saw people of all ages painting different projects. You have to plan ahead a few weeks for when you need your items to be ready, as it takes time for them to pour the molds, dry them, for you to paint, and then wait for kiln firing and cooling especially during the busy holiday season. I love the tree's vintage charm and they've got a lot of other things you can paint at all price ranges.

I love this place! This, to me, is like what a coffee shop is back where I'm from. Small town feel,…read morecomfortable, friendly! The events are always fun! At some point I won't know what to do with the stuff I paint, so a part of me wants to ask about purchasing an entire table setting for 8 so I can work on it over 2yrs. lol Fabulous employees/owner/hosts. Definitely recommend! (And always a solid play list on!)

Visited again today with a friend. They have expanded to have a party room now which is very cool!…read more The place filled up quickly with an assortment of kids and adults. Staff was great helping us to get paints and cheering us on while answering questions. We had a great time and can't wait to see our finished projects!

We had my daughter's 6th birthday party here last week. It…read morewas easy to book online. I also phoned them many times with different questions and they were patient and helpful. It was nice that we could bring any food and drinks we wanted, even some Champagne and hard seltzer for parents. Cheers to that :) Also, it was nice to have the party at a room separated from the main store. Besides the pottery painting I added cupcakes decorating activity and it was a success. All kids loved it of course! A week after the party, I received a text message that all our pottery was ready and thats so nice too, much quicker than expected. I definitely recommend this place! We'll be back for sure.

We love to visit Fox Valley Pottery. It is our favorite place to have a girls day…read more Employees are nice and very helpful. The shop is super clean, too! My only complaint is sometimes the music is too loud. The last two times I went to paint, I left with a pounding headache because of the music. Not a big deal, next time I go, I will pop a couple Tylenol before I get there!

Nice easy party atmosphere. Girls had a nice time and loved their pieces they painted! Website…read morepricing needs to be updated though. They need to work on communication. They had technical difficulties with the kiln and they were then getting backed up. I completely understand about that. But if I weren't the one reaching out for updates I would've been sitting for nearly a month waiting.

This was our first venture into Soul Fire, and I took my 7yo granddaughter who is a wanna-be…read moreartist. We chose the Glass Fusing for a new experience and it was a hit! We made an appointment ahead of time and as soon as we walked in the door we were greeted by a lovely woman who spent good time explaining to us just how to safely work with glass, and not get cut or hurt in any way. The instructions are very in depth but necessary. When is was time to start the creative process, my granddaughter knew just what she wanted to create and loved selecting all the parts to make it just as she wanted. Start to finish was about 190 minutes, but it could be faster or slower, depending on how your creative juices flow. In the end she was thrilled with her project and we sprayed it to keep it in position for the transfer to the kilns. In 7-10 days I will return and pick up the final project. Our final cost for a 6" square art piece came to $40. We can't wait! The cost is not super cheap, but you know exactly what you are paying before you start. The supplies are endless and we plan to return for other activities as soon as possible. We saw entire families enjoying themselves, and this is a great activity to do with all ages, young children to adults. The options for art projects are: Paint Your Own Pottery, Glass Fusing, Acrylic Paint Projects and Board Art. The Clay Hand Building is now offered only in a class session. Stop in and take look. Then make an appointment for some really nice fun.

Made ourselves a date night for some Christmas memories. I wanted to do some glass work. We…read morewere greeted at the door by Morgan. She was so helpful through the whole process. We decided on Christmas tree ornaments. Morgan got all our working tools and was very thorough in explaining how to cut the glass and told us if we needed any further help she would be happy to help. We then were able to create at our own will and speed. It was a Friday night at the end of the day and we were told to take our time and not feel rushed. You can order drinks to enjoy. The atmosphere was so comfortable and warm. You could paint or do pottery. So many things. I think we just started our new tradition to make a new ornament yearly. We had booked some open creating time. But you can register for any of the classes they offer as well. We will definitely be back. Everyone was helpful and kind. Can't say enough good things about the whole process from start to finish. Took about 7 days to have the project fired and ready for us to pick up. Our ornaments are beautiful on our tree.

Similarly to other reviews, my friends and I had a negative experience with an employee who stated…read moretheir name was Joanne. Joanne spoke to us in a condescending tone and was passive aggressive with her instructions, particularly after seeing we were using the wrong sponges. If that sounds stupid, it is. We were talked to like toddlers, and even though one of the members of our group frequents this studio, she will not be returning due to this ridiculous attitude. The employee Joanne also assumed we didn't know how to use or clean the paint brushes that were set in front of us, had a tone the entire time, hardly checked in on us even though the front room was practically empty. And lastly, another member of our party waited over ten minutes for Joanne to spray her piece, to the point that we asked not to spray our last piece in fear of it taking even more time. I also got an attitude for attempting to help by putting the paint away, a seemingly kind gesture in spite of our negative experience, we were not informed we weren't supposed to do that. I'm sure she's a joy to have around as she had nothing positive or kind to contribute, everyone else was very nice and helpful. This is a clay painting studio, not CIA. Joanne you do not work at the met, this isn't a D1 establishment. Your bathroom is moldy with wet towels and it's gross, I watched a kid sneeze all over his project, it's not that deep. Joanne needs to unclench.

Love this place and it's so much fun! We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was pretty crowded and I…read morethink there was a party in the back. We walked in and we waited around for maybe 10 minutes before we were helped. Staff was friendly and it's a great activity for when it's raining out or if you're feeling crafty. They have tons of options to choose from and you pick up your piece a few days later.

I attended 2 events at the Perkowitz Art studio in Grayslake with my husband. The first one was…read morerock painting that I have been doing for several years as I am a member of Grayslake Rocks. My husband surprised me when he said he wanted to attend & we both enjoyed the event immensely. The second event was in October to paint the Scary House. I had registered to attend with my good friend but due to unforseen circumstances she had to cancel at the last minute. My husband offered to accompany me as I had already registered & paid. We both were amazed this was not just painting a picture of a house, it was an art class taught by Tom Perkowitz. It was truly a memorable experience & who knew ? A Saturday afternoon date for this married couple who are polar opposites in many ways, accidentally discovering they had found a hobby that appealed to both of them & should pursue future events of this type. I bought paint by number sets for us & am hoping that more of this classes will be offered at the studio or may just create a paint party of my own with friends if there are no events coming up. I rate this a 5 & highly recommend this place to one & all.

My sons and daughter have come for the paint and sip events. They Love it!!!! It's their favorite…read moremom time the classes are great and well priced. We always get great instruction, supplies and time to complete our project. Myself and children have always been thrilled with the product we come home with and are anxious to go back to paint more. This last year has made us cautious but with the world reopening we will sure to return again and again.