For some reason, the recession has left one Atlanta market strangely untouched — there is a paint-your-own pottery shop in every quaint strip of shops in the Atlanta area. In honor of DIY month, we decided to test-run the trend and attempt to knock off one of our favorite ceramic designers, Bailey Doesn’t Bark. Pick up some tips for trying a similar experiment yourself after the jump…
1) Most paint-your-own pottery places will charge you twice: once for the dishware, and once for the studio time. Go in with a good idea of the piece you want to paint and the look you want to achieve. We went in with the philosophy that Less is More, and used a trompe l'oeil design inspired by Bailey Doesn’t Bark.
2) You might also try a simple fine-line rendering of birds on wire or trees, as inspired by Jessica Rust Designs.
3) You should know that no matter how talented you are, unless you bring your own tools, anything you make in a paint-your-own pottery place will never, ever look as good as something coming from one of these professionals. The brushes supplied are fairly thick. See how thick our teabag string turned out!
4) When you go, take a friend and make an evening (or afternoon) of it. Some places allow you to bring your own beverages. With the anxiety of wondering what to paint gone, we found that the leisurely atmosphere made us want to linger, and we wound up adding color to our piece just so we could hang out a little longer!
Has anyone painted their own pottery? Did it turn out the way you hoped? What did you do with it?
RELATED LINKS
• House Tour: Meredith's Pottery Palette
• Soup Cups: By White Forest Pottery
• AT on...Taking an art class
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I painted the watter dish for my cats! I made a mosaic of different fish around the sides and painted the inside blue to make the water look like a mini swimming pool. I love the results even tho it is very amateure-esque
view Hollie's profile
*water
view Hollie's profile
When I was nannying, this was the kids' favorite indoor-activity. I painted a sweet mug one time that I still have, red with lighter red polka dots, and a yellow handle/bottom. The inside was done with only one coat of red (mostly because I had to "help" the kids finish theirs), so it turned out stripey. It definitely won't be mistaken for high-end pottery, but I think its obvious hand-made-ness adds to the appeal.
view keliz's profile
I work at a pottery studio! It's really fun and since I started working there I've become addicted to painting pottery. Sometimes I'll just kind of paint my own versions of things I really like, like you did here, and sometimes I'll paint my own things.
view whaefruit's profile
Love Love Love these teacups!!
view Botany's profile
LOVE IT!
view ridge_van_winkle's profile
Yes. I've made a large serving platter for myself (red with a full-span daisy), and bowls, mugs, and coasters for friends. My favorite was a "salad" serving bowl with green leaves painted on the inside. This is a really fun way to spend a few hours inside on a hot, humid afternoon.
view paene's profile