Tribune/Debra Reid Isabella Hess, 4, preferred her fingers to the paintbrushes at Playful Potter on Friday.
One Sparks store shows that painting pottery is child’s play ... for everyone from babies to great-great grandmas. The Playful Potter is part store and part workshop mixed in a colorful concoction of creativity, classes and events for all ages.
The Sparks store sells more than 500 pieces of unfinished pottery thirsty for a little paint and imagination, said owner and self-proclaimed pottery diva Denise Oliver.
The shelves are filled with a gleaming white collection of figurines, picture frames, jewelry boxes, animals, kitchenware, planters, holiday and seasonal pieces, as well as paints, glazes, glass glitter, stamps and stencils. The paints and pottery are non-toxic and food-safe, Oliver said.
This time of year brings a diverse selection of hearts, rabbits, eggs and flowers fashioned for various purposes.
“With Valentine’s Day coming up, it’s great to create a memory,” Oliver said. “This is a gift of someone’s time and creativity.”
The Playful Potter sparks the interest of children and adults from all skill levels - offering a venue for parties and projects, children’s story time, dinners and wine tastings for adults, as well as pottery camps during the summer and school vacations.
At Friday morning’s storytime with retired educator Ann-katherine Sawyer, two little girls with wide eyes imagined spinning in graceful pirouettes like the ballerina in the story.
After Sawyer’s expressive voice finished her tale, Katelyn and Isabella dipped paintbrushes into pink and violet paints and brushed them across ceramic ballet slippers they will bring home in a few days after the glaze has hardened in the kiln.
“We are really big on letting kids create their own artwork, without worrying about being corrected,” Oliver said. “If you want to paint a purple dog with orange spots, go for it. I wanted to offer a place where kids can express themselves, especially considering the school budget cuts.”
The business is hosting Spring Break Escape, from March 10 through March 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. for ages 7 and up. Cost is $150 per child, including materials, projects, instructions and a snack.
Projects include creating a fused-glass hanging vase, bubble wands and a secret bubble mix, wet clay wind chimes, wet clay bird houses and a special gift project for Easter.
When the temperatures climb, the Playful Potter will throw open its doors to offer pottery painting and parties on the patio.
Playful Potter is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information about The Playful Potter, drop by the store at 1351 E. Prater Way, suite 109, call 356-5811 or click on www.playfulpotter.com.
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