Fired Up facilitates creation of art, memories.
Melody Eller is fired up about her new business venture.
“Art, it can be healing, it’s relaxing, stress relieving. It can bring families together. You make memories here,” said Eller, who took ownership of Fired Up Art Studio along Rt. 19 in McMurray in February. “It’s a happy place.”
And Eller is a happy business owner. The wife and boy mom times three grew up in Waynesburg, earned a degree in art and spent five years working at a magazine before dipping her toes in the oil and gas world.
When she welcomed her first son into the world, Eller and her husband, Matt Eller, decided she would be a stay-at-home mom, a life Eller loved. But after her youngest son, now five, started school, Eller determined to fill quiet days with meaningful work. The 9 to 5 wouldn’t do; Eller needed the flexibility to make kids’ doctors appointments and attend her sons’ school and sporting events.
“I wanted to bring my kids to work. Whenever I came across Fired Up, that it was for sale, I immediately was drawn to it,” said Eller. “We came, I walked in, and I just knew right then that this is where I’m supposed to be.”
For more than a decade, Fired Up has welcomed the greater South Hills community into its colorful space, where bright walls are decorated with canvas paintings and the perimeter is lined with pottery pieces waiting to be painted. Works of glass art are tucked among the pottery; wooden work tables sport baskets filled with utensils.
Walk-ins are welcome to drop by during regular business hours to paint gorgeous pottery pieces, ranging from sweet animals to funky coffee (or tea!) mugs and geometric succulent planters. Dinner and party ware are also available for painting, and Eller is able to add children’s feet or handprints to those pieces.
Along with pottery painting, folks are encouraged to try their hand at glass fusing, craft masterful mosaics or bring to life canvas paintings. Eller also offers clay hand-building.
“Walk in, relax, do whatever your heart desires,” said Eller.
“Our customers get really creative. Some people come in, and they say, I want to try the glass, I’ve never done glass, and they love it. That’s what I love about watching our customers come in and create things because they’re so creative. It inspires you.”
During her eight months as a business owner, Eller has remained true to Fired Up’s roots. Still, she’s also been busy rebranding. She changed the name from Fired Up Pottery Studio to Fired Up Art Studio and reimagined the logo. Eller has also expanded the studio’s offerings to include an art club, which explores history, techniques and hands-on fun and is open to students in grades K-12 (registration for the next session is now available) and one-off classes for artists of all ages and skill levels.
“There used to be classes. I think it was kind of on pause because of COVID. I brought the classes back,” Eller said. “I’m trying to get into the community more.”
Literally. Earlier this year, Eller launched Fired Up Mobile Studio, which delivers art to your doorstep.
“We will come to your birthday parties. We’ll bring the projects. We’ll take the mess with us,” she smiled. “We can go into daycares and schools. We have a certified instructor who has her (clearances).”
The mobile studio is available for parties and events, big and small.
