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Arts & Entertainment

At Creatopia, Just Add Paint

I'm no artist, but I enjoyed the chance to explore my inner Picasso at Ladies' Night Out pottery party.

I'm a lot of things, but an artist isn't one of them. A few years ago, my husband had the "brilliant" idea that we make each other's Christmas gifts, and while I invested plenty of sweat equity and glue sticks into my shadowbox, it ended up looking like a fifth-grader's art project.

So understandably, I entered Creatopia in  Plymouth with a bit of trepidation. But I was excited to be attending on the recent downtown-wide Ladies' Night Out, which meant lots of female company and a discounted rate.

Creatopia Paint-it-Yourself Pottery is a welcoming, creative haven that aims to channel the hidden Picasso in everyone, regardless of age, gender, or artistic aptitude. Really, the only prerequisite is a desire to have fun.

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Here's how it works: Choose from Creatopia's inventory of more than 400 unique pottery designs (mug, monster truck, or switch plate, anyone?), select the colors you wish to paint with and let your imagination run wild.

I made my artistic apprehension known to Creatopia owner Lindsey Lebovitz, who is a whiz at helping customers choose the perfect piece of pottery. She also provides genuine words of encouragement. "It's going to look great!" she said about my choice, a plate that is shaped like a slice of New York-style pizza.

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I learned that Lebovitz , an elementary school teacher, was inspired to meld her love of kids and creativity by becoming the new owner of Creatopia in March 2009. (Those familiar with Downtown Plymouth may recall that the studio first opened in February 2006.) After just a few seconds, Lebovitz struck me as a think-outside-the-box kind of gal and personified the quintessential favorite teacher we all have in our pasts. You know, the kind that thinks your lopsided house made of Popsicle sticks should sit front and center on the coffee table.

Lebovitz left me be with my caddy of paint bottles and brushes, and after I took my first stroke, I was off to the races. I found that the studio's ambiance -- pop music wafting through the speakers, chatter and laughter from lively women -- relaxed me even more.

At the table next to me, Heidi Cone, 36, and her daughter, Aleena LaPerriere, 6, both of Garden City, were hard at work on their masterpieces. Cone was painting a dinner plate for her daughter's birthday, while LaPerriere  painted hearts and butterflies on her jewelry box. "This is our special night out, we come here a lot," said Cone, who is as chic as she is artistic. She was  wearing a black top, jeans and a tan trench coat; her daughter wore the same.

Cone and LaPerriere were wrapping up their session when I painted the last piece of pepperoni. I'm doubtful that my plate will be displayed at the Smithsonian anytime soon, but I still love it. Lebovitz told me she would take it from here. Creatopia would glaze the piece, fire it in a kiln, and I could pick it up in seven days.

Creatopia's standard studio fee is a flat rate of $6 for kids under 12 and $9 for adults. Creatopia offers fun theme nights, too, including "Twosdays," when two people paint for the price of one on -- you guessed it -- Tuesdays. And there's  "Me Mom Mudd" for $15 per child on select days .

I'll be back next week for my plate. I'm already thinking about what to paint next.

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