Paint N’ Fun Ceramics named Montgomery County Business of the Year

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – A locally-owned business in one of our hometowns has become a destination for sparking creativity and memories. And now, it’s being recognized as the county’s “Business of the Year.”

Terri Welch runs Paint N’ Fun Ceramics, a painting and sculpture studio in the Christiansburg Mall. She’s come a long way since stepping foot in the art world.

“Actually, I was really terrible at art;” Welch said, “I learned art about 15 years ago and I’m all self-taught.”

Welch says she never envisioned herself in this role, let alone being named Business of the Year by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.

“I believe God put me in the right place at the right time and it just led me to this life,” Welch said, “and it’s been an amazing ride. I love seeing the smiles on kids’ faces when they create something amazing.”

For Welch, teaching art classes is a labor of love.

“I think when they come in,” Welch said, ”they’ll find that we make art super fun and easy. Take it from someone who wasn’t good at it but now I am. Because, I wasn’t good at art, I can teach others who think they aren’t good at art.”

Regular customers like Dorothy Stinchcomb have experienced this firsthand. Stinchcomb recalls how she once believed art wasn’t for her.

“When I was in the sixth grade, the teacher held up my painting in front of the whole class and said this is not how I wanted you to paint this still life,” Stinchcomb said. “I was so embarrassed I never touched paint after that.”

But she says that changed after attending one of Welch’s classes.

“Since then,” Stinchcomb said, “I have started doing painting classes and ceramic classes and I’ve fallen in love with it. each time I’ve done it; I’ve gotten better and better and better.”

Stories like Stinchcomb’s are common at the studio. Welch says she loves seeing newcomers and regulars find shared passion.

“People come from all over and I have families that come once a year to visit their kids at Tech or family and they tell me they always make time to come here because they love it so much,” Welch said.

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