We visited in the afternoon on a Sunday- it was not very crowded. The first floor of the studio seems to accommodate about 40 painters. There were probably about 8 tables, each with the capacity to seat 4-6 people. A fun activity for families, friends, or even a date, regardless of your artistic ability. There was pretty extensive water damage on the ceiling. I'm surprised that a business with so many child customers would not have this fixed, especially with the obvious possibility of mold inhalation or something falling from above.
There is a gender neutral bathroom on the ground floor, but it does not have a bar/low sink for those in wheelchairs. Although I did not go upstairs, there is a party room there- sounded like there was a children's birthday party going on, and they seemed to be having fun. Unfortunately, though, the party room is not handicap accessible (unless there is a secret elevator I didn't see).
I painted a small hedgehog to put in my garden ($11) while my friend painted an owl-shaped candle holder ($23 or $25). Items ranged from around $10 to about $50, and there is everything from plates and bowls to figurines and piggy banks. The ceramic items are displayed along the perimeter of the studio, with finished pieces sprinkled about as inspiration. There is also the option to create an item out of glass beads, which you place in your desired pattern and design to be fused/finished. We opted out of that, as it was a little more expensive and didn't seem quite as fun as painting.
The associate in charge of the paints walked us through the process and explained that in order to achieve opacity, several coats must be applied. There is actually a wall of sample tiles, showing what one coat looks like, vs three. This was really helpful, as the color of the bottle does not necessarily reflect the finished color. There were probably over 60 colors available, including speckled and sparkly shades. Brushes, spongers, templates, pens, and other tools were readily available. Having smocks or aprons available definitely would have been a bonus! The radio was playing overhead, which was nice, but I think that Pandora or Spotify would be a good choice for the studio, as most of the time commercials were playing
Of the associates on the floor was less-than-encouraging when offering advice. "You're not going to like that," "That's going to bother you" and "I can wash it all off" were among her comments. Mind you, she may have gauged our sense of humor and lack of artistic ability so it didn't really bother us, but for a more sensitive guest, these comments may be discouraging. I did, however, hear her complimenting the work of a child, so that was good to hear!
We were there for about three hours. Time flies when you're having fun! I would definitely recommend arriving closer to opening for that reason, but there is also a "work in progress" option. You can come back to finish your piece within 7 days of your initial visit and the studio fee will be waived (Usually $7 for adults, less for children/seniors). A Tip: Studio fee is $7 for adults, but we found a BOGO coupon online. It is my understanding that the studio fee is dropped to $4 on Tuesdays . And there is also a $4 BYOB event on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Our items were ready to be picked up in four days and were not damaged at all in the finishing process. Items are paid for before they are finished and glazed. Cash and credit are both accepted. read more