The idea for the Studio first occurred to us during one of those coffee morning sessions many ex-pat wives will recognise – when you have been in Bahrain long enough to want to DO something. Do what? Well, many of us have children, as do we, and that coffee morning eureka moment was about identifying an activity our children had enjoyed elsewhere in the world – in our case London – and wanting to see that activity here in Bahrain. We didn’t really know what we were letting ourselves in for, but fortunately we laughed at ourselves a lot even when the going got tough. After 6 months of very hard work including field trips to London and the US, searching for suitable premises, learning to navigate the local corporate laws, and research and training in ceramics painting, Studio Ceramics proudly opened its doors for the first time in September 2007.
We particularly wanted a modern, clean look with restful colours to create a tranquil haven for children and adults alike to enjoy. Our signature colours are red and white, the colours of Bahrain, against a lavender background with silver accents. We chose a gecko as our logo, because they are so abundant here and they are so cute! It turns out the geckos are our most popular item to paint and we never tire of seeing another beautiful gecko leaping hot out of our kiln. We are thrilled with our ‘look’ and hope when you step into the Studio you will immediately feel calm and relaxed.
Don’t worry if you have children though, we have a bright cheery corner full of fun toys (all the way from England) for them to enjoy. Many of our younger guests are happy to play there while their parents and/or older siblings paint. And if our own children are anything to go by, this corner is popular even with the pre-teens!
If Sayra or Anne are not on hand to welcome you, then Carol, Sophie, Sarah or Zainab will be here to show you how it all works if you are unfamiliar with ‘paint your own pottery’. Gorgeous Sophie might be busy in the office, but if you need help, she will be there to advise you. Sarah is a familiar face to many in Bahrain after becoming a ‘Star of Science’ on television – she is incredibly creative as well and is much loved by our ‘campers’! If you are bringing your children with you and you catch talented Zainab on duty in the Studio you are very lucky indeed! She loves children and has endless patience. We already know how well she can paint, but we just discovered she is a poet too! Watch this space! Carol is the latest member of our team and brings with her much knowledge on the ceramic business – welcome to the team Carol! Mahendra is the final (and only male!) member of the Studio Ceramics team. He is indispensible to us and always on hand with a friendly smile for our customers and to help reach those high up pieces of pottery!
Art is therapy, we know that – but many people deny themselves the experience because they do not feel artistically gifted. At Studio Ceramics, anyone can produce a beautiful unique piece of art because the ceramic firing process will turn even the plainest painted piece into a thing of beauty. And of course for those who are talented this is often a technique they may not have tried before. Although we started this business principally with children in mind, our morning and evening business comes from adults – and we are delighted with the amazing pieces they are producing. Even first timers who claim they cannot paint are very pleased with their Masterpieces. Give it a try – you will be surprised what you can do. Of course we are pleased to report that our children really DO enjoy the Studio and love painting, and particularly trying out new stock when it arrives (the divas and the animal goblets seem to be most popular with them right now) – and solve most of our gift problems for us!
The Studio is an ongoing process, and we want to be responsive to our customers’ ideas and requests – so please do use this website to give us feedback and tell us what you want us to offer, we will do our best to oblige! And if you think this is a great website, which we do, it was put together by another working mum, ask us for her number!
» Have a look at more pictures of our studio
» Have a look at more pictures of our ceramics
We look forward to welcoming you to Studio Ceramics and to seeing you again if you are a regular.
