What is this place?

We are a family owned and operated pottery painting studio located in Ottawa, ON. We offer a safe inclusive space for everyone to express their inner artist through ceramics.

How much does it cost?

Most our pieces range from $25-80 which includes everything but the tax! No studio fee or other extra charges, you only pay for your item plus tax.

How long does it take?

The painting process itself takes on average 2 hours. The finishing process takes about a week.

Is there an age restriction?

Nope! Bring your kiddo or your grandma, everyone is welcome in our studios.

Is it safe for children?

Yes! All our supplies are non-toxic and won’t stain anything.

What paint is used?

We use water based ceramic underglazes in our studios. These are special paints that are designed to be easily used and need to be fired to set to the piece.

Is there a time limit?

On weekends and busy times, we request that you only spend 2 hours in studio so everyone who wants to paint has an opportunity to do so. If we have empty space, you’re welcome to stay longer just ask the staff!

In general, there is no time limit to when you need to finish your project. Some people take several sessions to finish. Take your project home and come back as many times as you like to complete it, there is no additional fee for repeated visits.

Do you offer parties?

Yes! Check out our party page for details on packages and pricing.

Do you do special events/groups?

Yes! If you have a group of 10 or more email us for details on booking and discounts.

Do you offer clay classes?

At the moment, no. Currently we just offer ceramic painting.  

Why does finishing take a week?

All completed projects need to be fired to seal the paint to the piece, this is what makes things useable and food safe. Without this process the paint would fade over time.

Heres what happens to your projects in our studio

• Everything is left to dry for at least 12 hours to ensure nothing is smudged
• Items are hand dipped into a clear glaze. We first dip half the piece, then let it dry thoroughly before dipping the second half, this is what ensures all areas of the ceramic are fully sealed.
• When the clear glaze has dried, we carefully load items into the Kiln on stilts. Stilts keep the items lifted off the shelf of the kiln so they don’t get stuck.
• Once the kiln is loaded, we do a safety check and turn it on. Our kilns are set to fire at cone 06 which means they reach a temperature of 1800 F and takes around 24 hours to complete a cycle.
• We let the kiln cool all the way back down to 100 F or less so we can safely unload.
• We carefully check each item for any damage and remove any sharp marks left from stilts.
• Each item is then matched with its receipt, wrapped with newsprint, and bagged.
• Once your items are all ready to go we contact you via phone or email to let you know its ready to be picked up!

I have an item purchased from another studio; can I get it fired at Color Me Mine?

If you have item that was purchased/painted outside of our Merivale or Bayshore locations we can fire it as long as the materials can be identified. We’ll ask where it was originally purchased to help us track down any information we need.  

Our fee is just $5 per item to cover the cost of glazing and firing.

I haven’t received a call that my piece is ready yet.

Sorry about that!

If it’s been less than a week, we may still be working on getting your piece through our finishing process.

If it’s been more than a week, we may have left a message for you or missed the call by accident. Sometimes we get numbers wrong or skip calls by mistake. You are always welcome to call or email the studio to check in on where your piece is at after 7 days.

Can I bake the projects in my oven at home?

Unfortunately, no. Your oven at home won’t get hot enough to process the paints we use in our studio. Items need to be fired in a kiln to seal the paint.

What is a Kiln?

A Kiln is a special oven that gets really hot to process certain materials such as pottery and glass!

Can I buy just the bisque to paint in my own studio?

Sure! You can take 30% off any ceramic item price if you do not want to use our paint/firing service.

Can I fire my own items at your studio?

Unfortunately, we do not offer kiln rental services. We will only fire items from our studios or other similar studios if we can confirm the materials used match our firing requirements.

We cannot accept clay projects or repair requests.

Can I buy art supplies from you?

Sorry, but no. We are a creative space, not an art supply store. If you’re looking to buy supplies theres lots of dedicated stores in Ottawa you can check out!

My piece was damaged – what happens?

There are several ways ceramics can sometimes get damaged during the process. We take steps to ensure the risks are as low as possible but its never quite zero.

If any pieces come out of the kiln damaged in any way, we’ll repair what we can and/or offer studio credit. We limit refunds to extreme circumstances as much of our focus is on the experience of painting and creating, not just the final project.

What happened to the Ottawa Trainyards location?

The Trainyards location suddenly closed in November 2020. This location was owned separately from our Merivale and Bayshore locations, unfortunately we don’t know all the details that led to its closure.