Painted love

Sisters Christine Pocorello and Crystal Durbin began selling their hand-painted ornaments to local preschools and daycares as a way to make extra Christmas money, but when orders jumped from 200 to 2,000 in a few short years, they wondered if they hadn’t stumbled onto a new business.

Pocorello and Durbin started the ARTistico Express almost two years ago at a critical time in their lives—Crystal was planning her wedding to Detroit Tigers pitcher Chad Durbin, and Christine was pregnant with her second child. Yet despite everything, they quit their jobs and took the leap, focusing their energy on turning an old bakery on Jones Creek Road into a contemporary ceramic studio featuring paint-your-own pottery.

Today, they specialize in birthday parties, girls’ night out, bridal and baby showers and customized gifts. Their door is open to the young and young at heart alike to come in and let their artistic side take over.

“A lot of people don’t think they’re artistic,” Pocorello said. “We always tell our customers that the kiln can fire the ugly out of everything.”