COLONIE — A new business on Albany Shaker Road is bringing art to you and your family, “Piece by Piece.”
The studio, Piece d’Occasion, which opened in November, offers clients the opportunity to paint clay pieces to their taste and the facilities for staff to glaze and fire it in a kiln to make a finished, functional product like a cup or bowl or a decorative figurine.
“I got interested in clay when I worked part time in a paint your own pottery studio during my high school and college years in Brooklyn,” said studio owner, Heather Re. “After I graduated, I stayed on because I really loved it, and that’s where I learned about the proper use of a kiln and how to work with clay.”
The Brooklyn native said her husband, Lawrence Fredericks, grew up in Colonie.
After a stint in banking, Re got back into the creative side of things with Plaster A G-Go, a medium which didn’t need a kiln so she could bring art to the people – in a red Fiat with flowers all over it.
Her most recent studio offers “something for everyone” regardless of age or skill level. There are pieces geared towards adults who want a different kind of night out, to birthday parties for children.
Walk-ins are also welcome, and there are special rates for non-profits and school groups.
There is a price for the pottery and a flat studio fee of $8 for adults and $6 for children.
Re and her staff can also take the show on the road, and there are plans to work with summer camp programs. This week, they are bringing a load of coffee mugs to a group in a nearby coffee shop to visit and paint and in the end have a new coffee mug.