11 years and counting. We are proud to be part of the incredible community in Victoria, where families and friends come to spend quality time creating memories.
Mantra: We are here to create the best experience possible, whatever form that may take, for our guests and our community.
Mission: Our goal is to create a healing space. We do this by maintaining a friendly, clean and inviting atmosphere with an ever-positive attitude. We will be active in our community and share guidance and experience with a non-judgemental attitude. We will, to the best of our ability, help all those who seek artistic freedom in an inviting, inspiring and helpful manner.
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FAQ
The price of bisque is primarily dictated by size, intricacy and place of manufacture. Typical bisque figures start at $10 and up over $100, with a studio average of $35. We have loads of different pieces to choose from and the selection is always changing.
No, we are not talking about the lobster soup here. A bisque is the name given to the white forms that our guests paint on. It is made from a process called Slip Casting, where liquid clay (slip) is poured in to a mould then left to air dry. Once dry we have what is called ‘Greenware.’ The greenware needs to be sanded and cleaned so there are no lumps or bumps. Once the artist is finished cleaning it, the greenware is fired in a kiln (a big clay oven) to about 1971 degrees, what potters call “a cone 04 firing”. This process hardens the clay so it is ready to paint on, this form is called a bisque.
Yes, you may bring snacks and drink into the studio to enjoy while you paint. If it is finger food, we recommend something that is not too greasy, grease from fingers can cause the paint to do some funny things. Drinks are always welcome.
If you get snacky while you’re here, we offer some snacks and drinks for sale 🙂
It typically takes us 3-7 days to finish your piece. Why? because we have to make absolute sure your piece is dry enough for us to dip in a clear glaze, then dry it again, then stilt and load it in the kiln, then fire it in the kiln, then cool… you get the picture. While you are in the studio please feel free to ask a staff member to show you the back room and how it all works, we are always happy to share the rest of the process with our guests.
As a rule of thumb: Your item WILL be finished in 7 days from the day you finished it. If you need it faster, we will offer a rush firing for $20 per item and can allow you to jump the cue and have your items ready in 3 sleeps.
Depends
If you have a group of 1-5 people, no you don’t. Please just walk in during open hours 🙂
If you have 6 or more, yes you do.
If you’ll exceed 12 please contact [email protected]
This one is tough to answer because it really depends on the type of artist you are. We have seen kids come in and spend 20 minutes on a small animal and we have seen kids come in and spend two hours on that same piece (we’ve also seen adults do the same thing :-P). A good rule of thumb is about an hour or so, from start to finish.
No, we don’t typically do call outs or emails. (We can fit over 80 pieces in our kiln and to make 80 phone calls would take a loooong time) We do, however know that your item will be ready in exactly one week from the day that you painted it. We will definitely phone you if this is not the case.
Nope. We want you to enjoy your time in our studio without feeling rushed. We are happy to wrap up your project for you to take home and bring back at any time that is convenient for you. We are also happy to make up a take home kit for you to finish painting at home.
Only children over the age of 12 can be left unattended in the studio as long as you are comfortable leaving them on their own. The staff are not responsible for their care, any more than they would be for someone in their 20’s 🙂
All others must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Sorry friend, we do not have the space to do that. We are happy to help you pack it up to bring back another day or set you up with a take home kit 🙂