About Stephanie

I am Stephanie, and Paints and Sticks is my studio — a room in our house on West French Avenue in Temple, where I teach small classes in pottery, watercolor, acrylics, drawing, crochet, scrapbooking, paper art, floral design or just about anything related to the arts.

Small is the whole idea. Eight people in the room, never more. I believe that fellowship with other artists and friends is just as important as taking time to be creative. I can talk for a long time about art, but I want to help you make it and perhaps do some myself at the same time. This is meant to be a place you can relax, be yourself and get direct instruction to help you bring out your inner artist.

You do not need to be able to draw

I want to be unambiguous about this, because it is the single most common reason people talk themselves out of booking. Most of the room, most weeks, has not made anything since school and is quietly convinced they will be the worst one there. They are not, and neither are you. Everything is set up so that you leave with a finished thing you are pleased with, on the first attempt. Art is objective to learn, but subjective in taste and my hope is that you find learning easy with the right instruction and end up loving what you create!

What a class is like

One to two hours, start to finish, and I say the finish time out loud because I know people are planning the rest of their evening around it. Materials, tools and aprons are all provided. There is coffee or water provided. You take your work home the same night, except pottery, which has to be fired. However, with the pottery, I will always let you know when to expect it and if I'm early, I'll be quick to share the news.

The kiln

There is a real kiln here, fired on site, which is rarer in this part of Texas than it ought to be. It is why a pinch pot made on a Sunday afternoon comes back as something you would actually put on a shelf.

Bringing your own group

The whole room can be booked privately — birthdays, a work team, a bridal party, a group of friends who have been saying "we should do something" for a year. One price for the room, and you are welcome to bring your own food and drink.

If you are hovering over the calendar wondering whether it is for you: it is. Come make something.