We’re in a very weird stretch of weather right now. It’s a little warmer than one might expect for February, but it isn’t exactly nice either, unless you love mud and fog.
What to do in times like this? Why not create a work of art that will last forever?
If that sounds a little ambitious for your tastes, don’t worry – the kind of long-lasting art we’re talking about only takes an hour or two.
We’re talking about painting your own pottery, mosaics or figurines at You’re Fired on Loudon Road.
The slogan made famous by our current president is also the name of the paint-your-own-pottery studio in the Lamplighter Plaza. And the name is fitting – once you paint your project, you turn it over to the You’re Fired staff, who will let it dry for a day, then glaze it and let that dry for another day, then put it in the kiln at a sweltering 1,800 degrees, where it takes yet another day to fully set up.
The end result is a shiny, original, potentially functional work of art that you can cherish for a lifetime.
While it sounds all fine and good, we wanted to give it a shot ourselves to see how hard or easy it might be.
We stopped by last Sunday afternoon – a very busy time, as the place was packed with energetic kids, including a birthday party raging in the back room. Despite all the kids and families in there, we were able to get a spot at one of the several four-seat tables available in the front room.
After choosing a seat, it was time to browse the shelves full of bisques, the plaster forms you apply paint to. Bisque designs range from functional, such as mugs and bowls and plates, to decorative, such as lions and fairies and footballs.
With a little princess at home, this Insider opted for one of two princess statuettes they had. It sort of resembled Goldilocks, only it was all white, of course.
Then, it was over to the paint station. There were dozens of shades to choose from, and beneath each bottle was a little sample of how that color will look after a few coats and the glaze coating. We took two shades of purple (which ended up being nearly identical anyway), a goldish color for hair, “Buck Naked” flesh tone, some white, some light blue and some “Smiley Face” yellow for accents.
Next stop was the brush station. There were plenty of sizes available, and they were mostly all in good shape.
Then it was the fun part – the painting.
There’s no structure or anything like that. You can just grab your stuff and get to work at your own pace.
We got off to a quick start, covering the dress in light purple. As the strokes went by, though, the challenge increased as the crevices around the hands and hair got tighter. There were simpler bisques to choose from, but where’s the fun in that?
After about an hour and 45 minutes, we were sufficiently satisfied with our work – the eyes came out a bit terrifying, but overall we think it was sort of cute. We’ll let the 2-year-old be the judge of that, though.
This is good fun for the whole family, and fairly cheap – adults pay a flat fee of $8 plus their bisque (which go from about $8 to $60, with most items about $12 to $15), and the fee for kids under 12 is $6. No appointments are needed.
For more info, go to yourefirednh.com or call 226-FIRE.
