Color Me Mine
On a recent Autumn day, the weather was especially cold and windy. We made a last minute reservation for our family at Color Me Mind. It is a pottery painting studio.
Color Me Mine – Portland Pottery Painting
They are situated at Thompson’s Point, on the western side of the Portland peninsula. Thompson’s Point is a small shopping area that also houses an ice skating rink, the Portland Children’s Museum, seasonal outdoor concerts, and Bissell Brothers Brewery. See bottom of page for Google Maps.
Color Me Mine has open tables most days of the week. I do suggest calling ahead to reserve your table. We were there around 2 pm which was after the morning rush and it was great.
We were greeted by an assistant and quickly shown to our table. The shop walls are lined with white pottery pieces of varying prices from which to choose an item to paint. There were TONS of cute Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas items to choose from. Small pieces such as Christmas ornaments were under $20. Larger items like large platters, piggy banks, and intricate items ranged up to about $50. Some of these would be excellent as keepsake gifts for grandparents from the kids. My children decided we would all choose mugs for hot cocoa.
After choosing our pieces, we were allowed free access to the paint bar. There were over 30 different colors to choose from. Small palettes were readily available and useful. You can use as many colors as you want. We made multiple trips to the color bar. There were also various paintbrushes to choose from.
The painted colors are pastel and matte. The paints turn deeper, richer, and shinier after firing. You have to put on many layers in order to avoid brushstrokes. Be sure to leave time to allow for layers of painting. Write the number of the paint color with Sharpie on the palette. This will help if you need to get more paint later on.
Our kids loved this project and actually spent over 2 hours on these mugs!
After finishing, you leave everything on the table and pay at the register. The attendants will take care of clean up and will glaze and fire your art pieces after you leave. You can pick up your pieces one week later. Our kids talked DAILY about how excited they were to pick up the items the next Saturday.
Pickup did not disappoint. The kids and I had a great time in the cozy studio. It was a relaxing cold weather indoor activity. And now they have hot cocoa mugs to use!
Flatbread Company, Portland
Flatbread Company, Portland Maine
After painting, we headed into the downtown for some dinner. i called ahead to Flatbread Company, Portland.
They are a small New England chain offering wood fired oven flatbread. They feature a lot of organic ingredients. The Portland restaurant is situated on a pier overlooking the ocean. The Casco Bay Lines parking garage is next door, and in the winter is not usually full. ($5 an hour at time of post). Although the toppings can get a bit pricey, we always feel like the quality is excellent. The staff is friendly and the 2 open wood fired ovens gives a nice warmth during cold days. The kids love watching the pizza chefs flip the dough in the open kitchen.
Tips:
Color Me Mine sit down painting cost is $8 per person, plus cost of the pieces. Considering the cost of a movie or arcade visit, this seems more than reasonable.
Consider painting initials and year on the bottom of your art piece.
Color Me Mine offers small snacks and refreshments to enjoy while painting.
Color me Mine and Flatbread Co have clean restrooms available.
Want an easy at home wintertime keepsake art project for the kids? My kids love making these. This kit also works well for birthday party or Christmas gifts! They even come with mini suction cups. Made By Me Suncatcher Window Art Kit (#ad)
Maps:
Flatbreaad Co, Portland – Google Maps
Unless otherwise stated, all photos throughout this blog are my own and cannot be printed or distributed without my permission.
Astray Fish 
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