Abbey Turner
Abbey Thompson, pictured with her family, is the owner of Party Art Studio, which is now open in Bluff Park, and The Traveling Pallette. ABOVE &
Whoever first said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” was describing Abbey Thompson to a T.
Last summer, Thompson made the choice to follow her heart back to running her own art studio. Now, when she talks about her job, the conversation is heavy on the “I love it” side with “fun” peppered throughout.
Owner for 16 years of the Party Art Studio in Helena, then in Pelham, Thompson closed the studio last summer.
“We live in Bluff Park, and I was working with Homewood City Schools, plus keeping the studio going, and the driving alone just got to be too much,” she said. “My husband was like, ‘You're going to have to make a decision,’ So I decided to close the Pelham studio.”
But that didn’t mean going without a studio at all. Thompson bought a trailer, dubbed it The Traveling Palette, and hit the road in an art studio on wheels.
“Over the summer, all I did was travel, and it was great. I loved it, and I still do,” she said.
Abbey Turner
Then one day, Thompson noticed a post on social media advertising what looked like the perfect rental spot for a studio in Bluff Park, and she was soon back in a brick-and-mortar business. By that time, she had resigned from her Homewood job to devote more time to the new location.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to have a studio in Bluff Park, and I’ve worked hard to get everything the way I want it,” she said. “I still have more to do, but it’s been so much fun.”
A soft opening from 10:00 am until noon on December 13 was a grand success and served as the first Open Paint session at the new studio.
“This is where customers choose what they want to paint, and we help them,” Thompson said. “We have the wooden front-door hangers in different shapes, we have canvases, hats, and a lot more.”
Party Art-Bluff Park will also host kids’ painting events, including birthday parties, and kids’ camps. Group painting events for adults are also part of the studio’s offerings, as well as team-building events for companies.
But there’s one aspect of the business that brings Thompson a special kind of joy. “I love art, and I love being creative, but being around people is so nice,” she said. “I love meeting new people, and in this job, I meet a lot, and I love it!”
Party Art Studio-Bluff Park is at 736 Shades Mountain Plaza, Suite C, Hoover, 35226. Hours are by appointment only. For more information, call (205) 253-2984 or visit Party Art Studio-Bluff Park/The Traveling Palette at partyartstudio.net or on Facebook and Instagram.