Perfecting the art of shaky-hand ceramics.
When I was a little girl, the women in my family often gathered together to paint ceramics. I was too young to be trusted with non-washable paint, so I sat and watched my mom and aunts bring these beautiful pieces of art to life. I was unable to contain my excitement when one of them finally declared, "well, this is as good as it's going to get."
My mom is like Monet with a ceramics piece. I've never seen anyone so crafty.
While some remember the 80s for hand-painted wildlife or random assortment of tiny children with hydro-cephalic heads, for me, there's only one medium I am passionate to usher into my adult life: ceramic Christmas trees.
Each Christmas, the women in my family displayed these beautiful trees in varying sizes and vibrant colors. My Mamaw, in particular, had the most breathtaking white tree with red doves delicately perched on the branches. Oh this was such glamour and sophistication to a six-year-old. I dare say, I imagined it to be straight off of Joanna Stayton's mega-yacht The Immaculata. (Overboard was one of my favorite 80s movies and as a purist, I don't care for remakes).
A few years ago, I was delighted to learn that a paint it yourself studio had a fresh shipment of ceramic Christmas trees in stock. SAY WHAT?!?! I could own one?
I teased my hair within an inch of its life and drove to Campbellsville, intent on recreating my childhood Christmases.
What I found was an untapped creative outlet I never knew I needed. Something that would channel my inner 80s Olivia Newton John, while holding on the style and sophistication of today's standards.
Paint & Party Creative Studio's owner, Melissa, has dubbed me the Christmas Tree Master. To date, I think I have painted over a dozen, mostly given away as gifts, but my forest of trees keeps growing with no signs of stopping.
When my grandparents' house sadly burned in a freak accident a few years ago, I mourned all of the family mementos that were lost. Sure, memories last forever, but things like photos and hand-written letters are fragile. A few days after my grandmother's funeral, I started thinking about that beautiful white tree with the red doves, and I knew someone who could help me bring it back to life.
With a little help from Melissa, the first two trees I created as gifts were our Mamaw's tree, resplendent in ivory and red doves. It made my heart happy to see my cousins Nikki and Jessica brought to tears by my hand-made gift that Christmas. I was hooked immediately.
To date, I have enough trees to decorate our living room, our guest room, our office, and there's still one in the trunk of my car from my last excursion to Campbellsville.
You can never have enough ceramic trees. I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Sorry, not sorry.
This year I hit a milestone every woman dreads. I turned 40. Why God, why?!?! I keep reminding myself that it's better to be 40 than to look 40, but I digress.
My adorable husband asked me where I wanted to celebrate my special day.
Obviously, I wanted to go paint ceramics. So a few dear friends made the trip to Campbellsville with us, and despite my insistence that we stick to trees, something adorable caught my eye - an old truck hauling, you guessed it, a Christmas tree.
Hey, stick with what works, guys.
Satisfied with this more manly version of Christmas decor, my husband sat out to bring this beautiful piece of art to life.
Melissa had thoughtfully decorated our space with a festive happy birthday banner and hand-lettered chalkboard sign. I really love the personal touches she does to make her guests feel welcome and inspired. Even if they haven't painted a dozen trees to date. :)
One of the things that I've wisely waited to discuss until now is the actual logistics of painting pottery or other projects. I feel as a certified professional, I must impart some tried-and-true nuggets of wisdom before your first visit.
1. Wear old clothes. I know this is a no brainer, but I am messy. I end up with paint on my hands, sometimes my elbows, and on more than a handful of occasions, my clothes. Melissa wisely provides aprons, but probably wear something you can afford to wear with a streak of paint. Think Mrs. Annie Proffitt here.
2. Choose your piece wisely! I steer clear of geometric patterns and overly complicated pieces. Yes, the pot with hand-painted flowers looks amazing, but do I have the skills to pull that off? Nope. Start simple. Build your way up from there. Melissa has never refused to help me with hand-lettering or by suggesting a color palette. Trust the artist who owns the shop! She knows her stuff!
3. Choose one piece first so you don't get overwhelmed. I cannot stress this enough. Painting is a time-consuming and labor-intensive experience. People laugh at me for painting trees. Uhm, it's only two colors and there are no margins. On any given project, you'll need to add two to three coats of that color. Those big trees I've created? Easy three hours of work.
4. Colors dry pale and chalky, but are vibrant after firing. Go by the color swatch. If you're shallow like me, go by the names. My favorite colors include Irish Green and Ruby Slippers.
5. Make it a day and bring snacks! Melissa wisely sells drinks, but if you're going to be in the studio several hours, make yourself comfortable so the artistic spirit can freely flow. Forget the clock, get out your snacks, and enjoy your time.
6. Choose your painting partner wisely, or better yet, drive separately! There's nothing worse than having so much work left on a piece only to look up to see your painting partner impatiently waiting on you to finish. No one produces well under pressure. Rushed art is never fun. I understand now why all of my aunts and mom enjoyed their time together - great conversations happen when you're holding a paint brush. If you have to come back another day to finish a piece, it's well worth the drive.
7. Shaky hand art is part of the process. I am really terrible with details. I get so nervous I usually screw something up. Flaws are what make pieces unique and beautiful. Embrace the flaws. Be kind to yourself. What you're making is not bound for The Louvre.
8. If you're planning to give the item as a gift, factor in an additional week for glazing and firing. Around the holidays, kilns are constantly firing pieces. Don't be the person who demands to have their piece the next day. That's not how it works. Plan ahead!
9. Understand the price per piece includes all supplies (paint, brushes, water, napkins, etc.), but the glazing and firing is usually a separate fee. Melissa was wisely doing a Christmas in July sale this month, where all firing and glazing was free for ceramic Christmas items! Win-win!
10. Branch out from your preferred medium. To date, I've made Christmas morning coffee mugs for my dad and husband (my two favorite bearded elves!), a treat jar for myself, and several door hangers. Last Christmas, I commissioned Melissa to make Kentucky-shaped ornaments bearing the name of our church's home group slogan "Love Where You Are." Aww. They also do canvas paintings, wooden signs, kids, the possibilities are endless here!
So that's the big scoop! I doubt anyone is going to make a coffee table book out of my handiwork, but maybe someday they'll be fighting over my ceramic Christmas trees. Enjoy!
If you go:
107 E. Main Street, Campbellsville, KY
Phone: 270-572-1410
Reservations suggested, but walk-ins welcomed.
Hours:
Sunday and Monday - Closed
Tuesday - Thursday - 1:00pm - 7:30pm
Friday and Saturday - 1:00pm - 9:00pm
Thanks for reading!
~ Christy
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