Frequently Asked Questions
Painting:
Mosaics:
Who are we?
Laurel Street Arts is operated by sisters Lee Beer and Cheryl
Kadis. We are striving to make Laurel Street Arts a comfortable and fun place
for people of all ages to explore their creativity. Laurel Street Arts is both
a contemporary and traditional crafts studio. We currently offer painting your
own pottery, mosaics, and glass fusing. We have classes in mosaics, glass
fusing, polymer clay, ceramic painting, and more. Check our
calendar and
class pages for
more information.
How does painting your own pottery
work?
Enter our studio and choose an item from our large selection of
bisque (pre-made, cleaned, once fired ceramic pieces). Select a table and
answer a few questions from our staff. Design your piece. If you like, you may
consult our library of design books and array of stencils, stamps, stickers,
and other pattern aids. Our friendly staff is generally available for coaching
or consulting whenever you paint. Choose paints and tools. (All of our paints
and materials are nontoxic, and dishwasher and oven safe.) With a barely damp
sponge, wipe your piece to remove dust. Relax and have fun executing your
design. When you finish painting, place your piece on our drying rack and check
out with staff at the customer counter. After your piece is thoroughly dry,
Laurel Street Arts will glaze and fire it. Return to pick up your piece after 7
days, unless other arrangements are made. View
the process in pictures.
What are your
hours?
Laurel
Street Arts is open from 10 am to 7 pm Monday hrough Thursday, 10 am to
8 pm Friday and Saturday and from noon to 5 pm on Sunday. (These hours
are subject to change. The most up-to-date hours can be found here.) You can arrange for an after hours party for your group of ten or more by
contacting us.
Can I special order bisque
pieces?
Sort of. We order from vendors all over the country and there is no single catalog you can look through. Also, we have minimum required purchases at most of our vendors so may not
be able to place your special order for several months.
Laurel Street Arts is happy to look for a special item for you and can email you if and when we find something we think you might like along with the price. If the piece is unusual or costly, we will require payment
before we place the order for your piece.
Will you paint a piece for
me?
Yes. We have several excellent painters available for
commissioned work. Lead time is required, however, for the artist to execute
your order. Prices depend upon the size and complexity of the design requested. We occasionally have completed pieces available for sale, especially
around holidays.
Do I need a
reservation?
Reservations are generally not needed for a group of five or
fewer. We have a large studio and can handle quite a lot of small groups. We cannot, however, guarantee painting space without a reservation. Reservations are required for all parties.
Contact us to plan
your party.
Why does it take so long for my
piece to be finished?
We know your pieces are important to you and Laurel Street Arts
makes every effort to finish your ceramic work so that it will last. Each step
in the finishing process is important and takes time. The paint on the piece
must dry thoroughly. Your piece is dipped in two steps, drying thoroughly after each dip. Atmospheric conditions can lengthen the amount of
drying time required. In an attempt to conserve energy and keep our studio fees
low, we try to fire our kilns only when we have a full load and, when possible,
in the evening. After firing, the kiln must cool to a relatively low
temperature before we can open it. This can take 24 hours or more. Premature
opening of the kiln can impair the quality of your ceramic work. After the kiln
is opened, we must smooth any rough surfaces to prevent injury. Simply put, a
quality product takes time. In our experience, 7 days generally is sufficient
to cover variables in preparation time for firing and in the number of items
waiting to be fired during a given week.
View the
process.
Is it safe to eat off my
piece?
All of our pieces painted with our standard paints are safe for
eating. We offer some additional painting techniques that can be used for
display pieces only.
Do you have bright red
paint?
Yes. Not too long ago, the answer was no, because bright red
paint required cadmium as one of the ingredients. But the paint chemists have
performed miracles and we now have two shades of bright red. All of our paints
are non-toxic.
What if I make a mistake when I'm
painting?
Often you can correct your mistake simply by letting the paint
dry and using an eraser. With lighter colors, you can simply paint over your
mistake. Sometimes you may need to scrape off the paint with a toothpick or a
sanding stone. Our paints are water soluble and generally will wipe right off a
piece using a sponge and a little water. Some darker colors may need to be
painted over.
Do I have to know how to
paint?
Absolutely not! We have patterns, stencils, sponges and stamps
that can make anyone look like a pro. And our friendly staff is always glad to
help out.
I have a lot of old china. Can I
break it into pieces and make a table out of it?
China is not very flat and it is difficult to make a tabletop
with it although experienced mosaic artists can do it. Old china makes great
mosaic pieces for a picture frame or flower pot.
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