Discovering Easton: Kiln Born

“Pottery painting? That’s like, quintessential first date stuff, isn’t it?”

When our Communications Coordinator Lance recommended we check out Kiln Born Creations, a studio that predominately trades in kiln-fired pottery painting, I joked about it being a staple for a first date. It wasn’t a fair comment, as I’ve taken my nephew to one, done them as team-building excursions, and my mother also takes her grandkids to do them on occasion. It’s a good place to get to know someone, whoever they are, a little better. There is something about getting creative over a manageable project that makes you open up to the person you’re sitting across from a little easier. Somewhere between the coloring books of youth, but with a more substantial heft to the finished project.

It also makes me nostalgic: I was never a great student in the clay studio in my college days, but painting our projects produced memories for me I’m still fond of almost two decades later. Sufficed to say, Kiln Born was one place I was excited to get to. And I even dragged Lance along with me.

Kiln Born is nestled into a cute brick building on Washington Street and is set up like a little art studio. Potential projects line several walls, a treasure trove of options waiting to be painted. I settled on a highland cow piggybank (cow-bank?) for my daughter and collected my pink and green paint. Needing a refresher on painting ceramics, Jen at the front desk walked me through the process, including how many layers for an even coat, not to put a light color over a dark one, etc. The whole instruction only took a few minutes, and before long I was ready to paint myself a cow.

What followed was my favorite part: an hour and change inside this cozy studio, the sun filtering in the windows as I painted my way around my bovine model. As we each worked on our projects, Lance and I casually made our way through the ‘getting to know you’ new-work-friend Q and A. Where we each met our significant others, favorite movies, actors, and music. I always find conversation easier when you’re working on a simple task, and we weren’t the only ones. A few tables down, grandparents had started in on a few projects with their grandkids, debating color choices and discussing the upcoming school year. The other party seemed to be really enjoying themselves, and I couldn’t help but be reminded of the summers spent with my grandparents when I was their age. If their enjoyment was anything to go by, those kids made similar good memories that day.

I certainly had a good time rounding out my green and pink cow as Lance brought a small garden gnome to life. It turns out we went to the same college, frequented the same hobby shops, and even went on a tear about the filmography of one Willem DeFoe, deciding there at the table we’d have to see his next one together (Nosferatu, December 2024, but who’s counting?). As we turned our projects in to be fired in the kiln, it was safe to say we were both in a great mood from the experience.

Considering how well we got to know each other, it’s easy to see why pottery painting is such a go-to for date nights, group outings, and team-building. Maybe a double-date night at Kiln Born is in our near future. As I look at my daughter’s new Cow-bank, glaze-shiny and bright in all its pink and green glory, standing vigil on her bookshelf, it’s easy to imagine an excuse to go back.

Tom Maglio

Marketing & Events Manager