Craftsea

Louise James started Craftsea in 2017 after redundancy, firing pottery in a kiln at home and travelling to community venues to run painting sessions before opening a shop on Mumbles Road the following year. The studio later moved into a larger neighbouring unit, part-funded by a Development Bank of Wales loan, adding a retail counter and small bar alongside the painting tables. Visitors choose from bisque pottery and apply underglaze colour in ninety-minute sessions bookable through the day, with no previous art experience required. James, whose background is in environmental science rather than art, built the business around that lack of formal training being something customers could relate to. Craftsea also offers baby handprint keepsakes, birthday parties and pottery boxes for painting at home, and describes itself as the only paint-your-own studio in Swansea Bay.