August 9, 2003
Paint N Chat
There's a newish little shop on our main street called Paint N Chat -- a paint-your-own ceramics place. Now there are Plaster Funtime stores all over Massacusetts, but Plaster Funtime is to Paint N Chat as Eminem is to Andrea Bocelli. (That's a question on the SATs, remember that.) They're just not even in the same league.
Plaster Funtime's unpainted statues are made of... go ahead and guess... plaster! Paint N Chat gives you genuine ceramic bisque, which doesn't feel like chalk. It's a cosy place with tables for two or four and shelves lining the walls. Instead of just skulls, cats and puppies, you can create actual usable things. Imagine that. Toothbrush holders, teapots, mugs and serving dishes. They glaze and fire the pieces to make them food-safe.
You choose an item, pick six colors (six doesn't seem like much, but when you get paining, it's more than enough) and paint away. They charge for studio time in addition to the item cost, but the finished product was well worth it. I would rather have an $18 plate than another useless pink plaster skull for $8.
Trevor and I made our pieces Wednesday evening and picked them up today. I have a neat fluted-edge square plate and he has a useless ceramic easter egg. Oh well, we're halfway there.