Awesome little pottery studio! We stumbled upon this studio, cruising the art shops at Liberty…read moreStation. We stopped by while Leah was teaching a private class and it looked like so much fun. So.... We immediately made a reservation for a class and got a private class 2 weeks later. And here we are... The class was so fun! We started with a clump of clay and ended up with wonderful, functional, and pieces of art. Our teacher, Leah, was a great teacher! She was patient and explained everything! She had the perfect balance of teaching and then letting us work the clay a little of our own way. She kept us on track so we actually made 2 very unique pots. Very unique is my way of saying crooked and lopsided but lots of character. Lol We had a solid hour and got to work a few different pieces. For the price and friendliness and fun, I suggest this class for beginners or any level really. Oh! And check out the awesome pottery for sale! Leah is an amazing artist with some very nice pieces for sale.

Nancy is such a great instructor! Highly recommend taking classes with her and the studioread more

Lee Ann honors artistic freedom & helps me achieve higher levels of creativity & complexity. The…read morestudio environment is non judgmental with positive vibes that allow the creative energies to flow.

Henry has great follow up and is very knowledgeable, I highly recommend him and his company.read more

I've always had an interest in tufting. Being a crafty person myself, I'm always down to challenge…read moremyself and try something new. My partner and I decided to take a tufting class with Nick and it was such an awesome experience! Nick is very knowledgeable about the world of tufting and offers a positive, laid back approach to diving into this craft, whether it's for fun or to make tufting into a small business venture. Nick thoroughly walked us through the steps of making a rug and offered suggestions throughout the entire process. I was able to pick his brain to really understand his process of creating rugs and what it takes to create perfect lines, how to carve and shave to create dimension, and even how fabric selections can alter the appearance and the feel of the rug. I've learned so much from the classes I've taken under Nick's instruction. To this day, I'm still tufting and improving my craft (and still bother Nick from time to time on Instagram :) ). I even completed my first commission recently! Seriously, take a class with Nick and absorb as much information as you can. Whether you're serious about perfecting your skills or just want a fun date idea, don't hesitate to book a class! It's so worth it! Not to mention, you get a pretty awesome piece of artwork that you can say you made yourself.

So much fun learning from Nick! He knows what he's doing and is patient with beginners. Was taught…read morewith 0 experience and still got to make something super cool with his guidance. Recommend this class to anyone! Definitely good for a date, fun thing to do with some friends, or if you want to just turn a design into a rug. 10/10!

Social Service League of La Jolla has had the pleasure of using Pat's Glass for several years. They…read moreare extremely reliable as well as wonderful craftspeople. We appreciate all the hard work they have done on our property, Darlington House, over the years and recommend them to anyone with specialty glass needs!

Had a broken piece of stained glass, contacted them and they promptly responded. Gave me a good…read moreoverview of the expectations, pricing and everything. They came to get a color sample and a couple weeks later, they contacted me for the repair. Came as promised, performed great work and you can't even tell there was any damage. They were friendly, clean and did an excellent job, I would recommend them to anyone.

Sooooo... where do I start?!?…read more I have completed a couple of metalwork classes in the past - full on semester-long courses - and I feel like I learned more in one afternoon at AC Silver Co with Aaron. Studio space: The studio space was clean, organized, comfortable, and frankly, inspiring. It is set up in such a way that I wanted to immediately drop my bags and get to work. Good work gets done there, that's the vibe. If you are a creative then you know how important the right workspace is. If you are not creatively experienced, you'll be spoiled by such a nice space! Aaron put as much care into the flow and design of his space as he does each of his pieces and it shows. He was also super patient in giving me directions because apparently I just wasn't listening well that day and I would have been frustrated with me, but he was chill and patient and ready when I got there. The Artist/Teacher: As I said, Aaron is so nice! And so ready to share knowledge and work with you at your level. You need to watch more than do? He's got you. You want to be more hands-on? He's got you there, too. I was under a time crunch myself, and I would have loved to take more of a role in the fabrication of the ring for my then soon-to-be-wife, but due to other circumstances I was less hands on than I would have liked. Still, Aaron kept me involved in the process and showed me how to do things so I was still putting energy into the ring, and I was really grateful for that. Overall Experience: Overall, the experience was fantastic. I felt like I was hanging with a friend making art. Aaron was just as invested in meeting my deadline as I was out of his own sense of commitment to making sure that his clients leave with something in hand, on top of the urgency of needing the ring that weekend. I brought in a stone he hadn't worked with before, and he worked out a way to use the stone since he knew there was a sentimental reason behind it. I am so grateful for his persistence in figuring out a way to use it, and for his patience and knowledge throughout the whole experience. He even checked in with me after the ceremony to see what she thought of the ring, and of course, his design suggestions were on point because I went with them and she loved the final result so much she almost cried. ACSilverCo is a gem and I cannot wait for another opportunity to return. Thank you, again, Aaron!

(Review based on one 4Hour class)…read more Pros- -Well set up/lit/ventilated studio! -Aaron (the owner) is extremely knowledgeable, patient and made things very easy to understand -you walk away with valuable hands on experience...and if you don't retain it then at the very least a well made ring or pendant -In person class fee is worth it for the knowledge you gain. studio rates (if you have experience) are extremely competitive especially given the machines he has available (for studio use) -plenty of parking nearby -personal note: if you even think you're interested in learning this craft, TAKE THIS CLASS! I learned so much. Aaron is a great resource Cons- -four hours flies by! there isn't enough time to go over every single thing (this is really only the case if you're like me and you want to ask a lot of questions/ learn how to do every single thing in one day) -it's far from Los Angeles but still I'll be back

I enjoy the process of creating. Don't necessarily see myself as artistic though so I figured with…read morea mosaic, it would be easier to create something I enjoyed. It was the 2 afternoon glass on glass mosaic class I took. Lauren was the instructor. She's warm, approachable, works well with beginners. Got lots of good tips from her. I have never created something that I love as much as I love this piece. I'll be coming back for more classes and continuing to make more mosaics. I feel a bit like an artist now. It's awesome!!!!!

I finally got a chance to do the indigo dyeing workshop with Lauren and brought my two friends with…read moreme! We had the best time. What an incredible way to spend an afternoon or two learning a really fun approachable new form of art, working with your hands. Lauren was a great teacher, very supportive of our crazy ideas and was a great balance of structure vs. going with the flow and allowing the students interests guide the class. Opening each piece and revealing the pattern was almost better than Christmas morning! Cannot wait to return for more alumni days.

It was a really hard decision for me to pursue the College portfolio program. I thought it would be…read moretoo difficult to combine it with my acting career and I was positive that the people who succeeded at Prima were probably just some "rare/special cases" ...but the curiosity to find out was just too tempting, so I decided to go for it and do the Portfolio, and I dove right in. At first it was a kick in the butt, I wanted to learn things "my way" and as a result of my stubbornness I didn't get the best results, but after finally conceding to the guidance I decided to let go of some preconceived notions and follow their advice. The breakthrough was immediate. Prima Materia accelerated method took hold and within a month I was lucky enough to auction a piece of my work from the sketching and drawing class. I have since built a knockout portfolio, finished the program, and now have a website. Also the true gifts have been the relationships I have made along the way in those classes as well as the internal transformation that took place from having completed the Portfolio program. I now have confidence in my ability to share my voice through art, something I didn't have before I took my leap of faith. Super happy! It's the best thing I've ever done with my time. There is so much joy. It's been a gift.

I joined Prima Materia when I was around 10, and I can say that my 7+ years with Olya and Nikusha…read moretruly changed the way I see the world. I've grown not only as an artist, but also as a person. I took part in the portfolio program, where I was able to take all classes and have weekly meetings with Olya to learn from her 30 years of experience. First, the techniques taught at Prima Materia are unlike what I have seen anywhere else. I learned how to create art with numerous materials, including unconventional ones like toothbrushes and clay made of newspaper. Olya and Nikusha are extremely well versed in which specific brands or types of art materials to buy, which ones are economical, and which ones can/should not be used together. Furthermore, Olya's Russian art education combined with her versatile and contemporary approaches to art help her teach in a way that is almost freeing. She's really helped me strike a perfect balance between academic drawing and taking creative liberties. This is especially important to me because as a scientist and STEM-focused student, I have always been bent on perfection and planning. As a result, my art would often turn out stiff and lifeless. Through the unique techniques she taught and our meetings together, Olya taught me to let go and give into randomness, chaos, and chance surprises in art. I learned to stop caring about the end result, take risks, and make myself uncomfortable. This has helped me achieve freedom from my restrictive mindset, find enjoyment in a process that previously stressed me out, and create art that is uniquely beautiful. After being in the portfolio program for a few years, what I think is special is that Olya truly cares for her students, and is willing to go the distance to help us achieve our artistic and personal goals. She notices what students are struggling with(for me, perfectionism and being unhappy and controlling with my art), and personalizes her help and feedback, spending extra time with us to help us advance as artists. She is also very eloquent and knowledgable. I always enjoy my time talking to her about new artists and techniques I find, and I aspire to have her level of intellect. Finally, Prima Matria has a plethora of classes for anyone, no matter the skill level. From a 10 year old until now, I have always found that the classes and art projects have challenged me a perfect amount; this has allowed me to refine my skills as an artist at an exceedingly fast rate. Even in classes teaching foundational skills, we have the option to take the project to the next level. Other art teachers are often astonished by how quickly and accurately I can draw, along with how fast I can pick up new techniques, because this is something that is trained through the rotating courses at Prima Materia. Plus, i have so much fun! Art classes were always a highlight of my week! I have an extremely busy schedule with a lot of research and extracurriculars, so the figure drawing classes I took made me feel like I could finally relax. Although this is already an extremely long post, I still could say a ton more about why Prima Materia's portfolio program is so great. I think one of the best choices I've made(ever!) was to take that initial workshop at Prima Materia. Because if I had not joined years ago, learned under the expertise of Olya and Nikusha, and met all of the other artists in the warm, supportive community we have, I would have missed out on a lot of joy and definitely would not be the person I am today!

Excellent. I have been making soap for about a year now. I went from curious about soap to making &…read moreformulating & designing my own soaps. I make them for myself, family & friends. If you want to learn how to make soaps safely & the correct way Kerri is your very best option. The last class one women had flown out from NY for the class. Yes Kerri is that good. We are so lucky to have her in San Diego. The classes are informative, backed up with printed material to aid you once you've left & available to answer questions on the phone when you run across something you need help with. From crafter, soap maker to soap business. She has classes to cover it all. Kerri & wonderful husband David also have tons of supplies. Molds, colorants, fragrances, stick blenders, oil mixes, oils & lye. Everything you need to make soap. The classes & very relaxed, she will answer questions & your fellow class mates are anywhere from 1st time to professional soap makers. 4 classes under my belt now & planning to take more.

I have taken many of Kerry's classes and she is completely informed about soap. She IS the soap…read moremaking community in San Diego. If you want to make soap on any level, just for yourself, starting a business, the farmers market circuit, to grow a business to be bought out, she is the person to see. by the way, the soap makers luncheon she hosts once a month is great.