DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — A new Dothan business could be the spot for your next creative date night or family outing without the hefty price tag.
Peaceful Painting pottery studio officially opened its doors December 1, 2025 with the goal of providing affordable fun while tapping into your creative side.
Owner, Erin Amelco moved to the Wiregrass from Washington state back in 2020 for her husband’s job. After being here awhile, she decided to bring a therapeutic and fun activity to Dothan that she grew up doing — and she wanted to make it available to anyone.
“We wanted it to be affordable for everybody’s budget, and affordable so that people could come back, because even in Washington you go and you’re like, ‘Yeah, this is a once in a blue moon kind of thing,’ because it’s so expensive,” Amelco says. “We wanted to keep our prices low, and we didn’t want to do a studio fee because of that.”
Prices range from just $4 to $65, and it’s a simple process anyone can do, with instructions printed at every table — plus, Amelco and her family are there to walk you through it.
“You come, you pick out your piece, you paint it, and then I take it back, we let it dry for 24 hours because it needs to be completely dry, and then I dip it into a dipping glaze, that’s what makes it shiny,” Amelco says. “and then from there I put it in a kiln that takes 24 to 30 hours to cook, and then it’s a whole other piece of art.”
There’s over 250 options of pieces to paint, from mugs and bowls, to jewelry boxes, football helmets, and TVs.
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WDHN TV Painted by Jessica Gauthier at Peaceful Painting Pottery studio in Dothan
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Peaceful Painting also offers a rotating seasonal holiday selection of pieces. Right now you can choose from an array of Valentine’s day themed pieces, which can also make for great gifts.
You can walk right in, reserve a table ahead of time, reserve an after-hours party, or even do a take-home kit. You can pick your piece, pick out six glazes, and then take it home to work on it for as long as you want before you bring your piece back to be dipped and fired.
But when Erin’s not dipping glaze or firing all these art pieces, she’s still working full time remotely as a trauma registrar for a hospital in Washington state.
Erin says even though both jobs keep her busy, she’s happy she started the project.
“It was like, ‘Oh wow, are we really doing this,’ and it’s been interesting,” Amelco says. “We’ve learned a lot, it’s been a journey, and I’m glad we did it, it’s been going really well,”
Peaceful Painting is located at 1330 Hartford Hwy in Dothan. You can check it out Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.
Video Credit: Sam Batchelor
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