Only a few people were quietly working on projects as I stepped inside to the coolness of Paint the Earth last week and selected a square bowl to paint. It had been years since allowing myself the time to enjoy this pleasurable activity of painting a piece of pottery that a few days later would provide more pleasure when seen after being glazed and fired. In fact, I’d never painted anything before — my previous visits were as the mom of a painter.
Among others in the studio were two young moms with their daughters. One mom, with endless patience, guided her four- or five-year-old daughter through the process of selecting an object to paint for â€Grammy.†Pretty quickly they knew what kind of design they wanted to paint and which piece of pottery to paint it on, but the color choices required some reminders that this was a gift for Grammy and not the painter, and therefore should include Grammy’s favorite colors, not hers. The other mom painted peacefully, and I thought, unaccompanied, until her two-year-old daughter woke up with a start from the stroller where she had been napping.
Painting a piece of pottery at Paint the Earth is not a solitary experience, but one among community — which could be one of the best parts of it for many who have enjoyed the venue for the 10 years it has been at 316 W. Franklin St., near Ham’s.
If it’s one of those local places you had hoped to experience, better put it on this weekend’s TO DO List, because Sunday will be the last chance to do so. Carol Land and husband Barry Slobin have decided to let go of owning a retail business.
The couple and their son moved here from Los Angeles in 1996 with the thought of opening such a store in mind. It took 18 months to find the spot and open; now, 10 years later, they both enjoy careers in real estate (associated with My Dog Tess) and have decided to close the doors of Paint the Earth, which opened up the community to them.
“Operating a business in downtown Chapel Hill has had many rewards and challenges and we’ve been through them all,†said Land. “Among the unforgettable ones was when a fully antlered buck came crashing through the front store window, startling customers and staff before he made his way through the studio and out the back door.â€
That event brought a lot of ink from local newspapers; the stories still hang on the wall. During my visit, a customer asked to see the stories to show to a friend she had brought along.
Once they got the store going, Land and Slobin turned much of the daily work over to UNC students who enjoyed the part-time work.
“We are in touch with many of them for years afterwards,†Land said. “It’s wonderful to watch them mature and change — several now have children of their own that they’ve brought in to make handprints or paint a plate for Grandma.â€
Their only regret is that nobody will be continuing the business. “We hoped someone would carry the torch,†Land said, noting that it would take someone with an entrepreneurial spirit. “The wonderful thing about the studio is that customers are generally so happy to be here.â€
Contact Valarie Schwartz at 923-3746 or valariekays@mac.com