Bisque It on Valentine's Day!

Everyone knows the traditional way to spend Valentine’s Day: crying. Just kidding! Actually, the ideal way is to spend it with your loved one, but does it always have to be with flowers, chocolate, and lingerie? While I don’t think you should necessarily get rid of these things, it can be very romantic and fun to spend some time together creating something you will both enjoy for years to come.

A new trend for couples is creating pottery together. Bisque bowls, pots and vases are increasingly popular and painting a piece with your loved one can be a delightful way to spend an afternoon together. Many pottery stores allow you to come in and select an unfinished ceramic pot, which you then paint with your partner. While it would definitely be fun for anyone, it’s a truly interesting and creative date idea, especially for Valentine’s Day! You can score big points and impress your crafty partner by taking their interests into consideration, even if it’s not your ideal way to spend a Saturday.

It’s not quite as messy and um, romantic, as the well-known pottery scene in Ghost, but it will bring you closer nontheless. The great thing about Bisque pieces is that they have already been fired in a kiln once, so they are less fragile and completely ready to be painted. This is also a fairly frugal activity, with prices generally falling in the $20-range. Also, most pottery facilities don’t charge for the studio time, only the ceramics you are painting.

The best “Paint Your Own Pottery” stores offer a wide variety of pieces from mugs and bowls to vases and flower pots. It’s best to phone ahead and schedule a time for you and your loved one to come in and create your piece. You should also confirm that they have everything you need in terms of paint, brushes, stencils and sponges. If you are a beginner, you might also want to find out if they have people there to assist you if needed, or if you are left on your own. There’s no harm in trying to do it alone, but it’s always good to know if someone’s around in case of a ceramic crisis!

It should also be mentioned that pottery painting isn’t an instant gratification craft! After you have finished your work, your piece will be glazed by the staff at the pottery store and then fired in a hot kiln. The firing process brings out the colours of the paint and transforms the dull Bisque pot into a brilliant piece of art. In about a week’s time, you and your partner will have a truly unique piece that was created by both of you – what could be more romantic?

The most important thing about holidays like Valentine’s Day isn’t to get caught up with gifts and commercially driven expressions of love, but instead to spend time together and reflect on your strength as a couple. The nice thing about creating ceramics together is that they are for your home and bring a warmth and personalized touch to your surroundings. Each time you see or use your piece, you have the comfort of knowing you made it together, rather than picking it out of some catalogue. So get creative with your Valentine and start glazing!

Pottery stores offering the Bisque-It service can be found across North America, including:

For locations in Canada, check out this detailed listing of ceramic stores cross-country:
http://www.clayzee.com/Education_and_Rereplacement/Classes_Workshops/Paint_Your_Own/Canada/index.html

Some great locations in the U.S.:
Rochester, New York: http://www.bisqueandbrush.com/index.html
Flemington, New Jersey: http://artattackfun.com/studio/paint-your-own-pottery/
Westbrook, Maine: http://www.pickandpaintpotteryshop.com/

If these links aren't for your area, simply Google “Paint Pottery” in your location.

Footnotes:

Sources:
http://www.goldbook.ca/goldbook/acton/Pottery/glazedexpressions.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisque_(pottery)
http://www.bisqueandbrush.com/details.html 

Image Credits:
http://www.bisqueandbrush.com/assets/shelves250.jpg
http://www.inspiredceramics.com/userimages/marketing_poster1.jpg