On March 31, a group of 11 students got together and traveled by van to downtown Sebastopol in Sonoma County for an unforgettable pottery painting experience at the CreateIt! studio. The small art studio can house about 30 people simultaneously, and hosts pottery making classes, pottery painting sessions, painting classes, and other activities for people of all ages. This Getaway Trip was hosted by Student Involvement. 

The owner of Create It!, Jennifer Balleto, welcomed the students into her studio saying she was excited to welcome SSU students into the space she built up herself, and she hoped that everyone would have a good time painting. After a brief introduction to the studio, she explained her story, starting from the very beginning, when she bought out the pottery store that had previously occupied the space, and created her own shop and studio that has been thriving in downtown Sebastopol ever since. After her story, Balleto showed off the different pottery selections. 

Some of the pottery included various plates , bowls, and cups. After each student chose their piece, Balleto and her father, Rich Balleto, brought students up in groups of four to discuss the different paint options, glitter options, and describe the differences between a single coat of paint and a second coat of paint. Balleto explained, “These paints each have a special gradient that can work with the pottery, for example, our paint color ‘Anchor’s Away’ is a light ocean-blue, but with a secondary coat, it becomes a deep, dark, ocean-blue as seen on our example plate up on our wall.” After the students were given the rundown on colors and paint they were set free to work on their masterpieces.

 As students got started on their pottery session, the Balleto’s were available for the students to ask questions, get advice, or for general inquiries like brush style, paint type and so on. 

Hannah Goldman, an early childhood studies senior at Sonoma State said, “I created a mini plate. I painted it with terracotta and decorated the piece with small white flowers and leaves.” 

Another student, Logan Svenson, was creating a hanging potted plant fixture for her dad as a gift for his birthday. She used a step-by-step guide and created a turquoise-blue ocean pattern that seemed to melt over the entire planter. 

After about an hour, students began to wrap up their pieces and were setting up to pay. The payments revolved around a half-and-half pricing setup; students paid for half and Student Involvement paid for the other half. The price included the pottery, use of the paints and paintbrushes, the firing process, and the glazing process, both of which would be done by the studio in-house. The fully glazed and fired pottery will be shipped to Sonoma State for students to pick up in the student center when it’s ready. 

Overall, it was “…a good way to destress and take a break from school responsibilities,” according to Goldman. Getaway Trips are held through Sonoma State periodically throughout the month, and students can get tickets at the Student Center help desk or online on the Seawolf Living website.