People looking for a unique date idea or a different way to have fun with friends and family should consider newly opened Splash Into Art, where customers create their very own 16-inch by 20-inch painting in less than three hours.

Located at 2009 Iris Drive SE in Conyers, Splash Into Art is the latest in a trend of new businesses around the nation, where trained painters show customers how to recreate a single painting in one sitting.

"This is 100 percent something for fun. You don’t learn to be a painter; you learn how to paint a specific picture," said Owner Gary Ezell, who also owns the photography business Ezell's Studios.

Ezell said he opened Splash Into Art because the economy was wreaking havoc on his photography studio and he was looking for another way to generate income. He got the idea for the store from his employees, several of whom went to a similar business in Cobb County.

Splash Into Art held its official class on April 1 in Ezell’s Studios and has since held several more classes.

The process goes like this: customers go to online calendar at splashintoart.com and select their favorite painting. A different painting is painted each class. They then can sign up online, by phone or in person. The cost is between $25 to $35 per person, depending on whether the class is a two-hour class or a three-hour class. The customer then comes to a class and is shown step by step how to recreate the painting. At the end of the night, the customer gets to take their 16-inch by 20-inch canvas home to keep.

Classes are usually held in the evenings, on weekdays starting at 7 p.m. and on Saturday starting at 6 p.m. Adult classes are for anyone above the age of 12, but those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Kids' classes are offered on Saturday afternoons for children between the ages of 7 and 12.

Splash Into Art can be reached at (770) 918-0412 or on their Web site www.splashintoart.com. They are located at 2009 Iris Drive SE,
Conyers.