Business Hours

Open 10am - 6pm, Tuesday - Sunday

Closed on Monday

We recommend setting aside two hours for paint-the-pottery

(We can stay open a lil’ longer if you get here before 6pm)

Location

Thought Balloon Art Studio

670 Gregory Lane Unit G

Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

People

Bear Trickey

Ceramic Sculpture / Paper Craft / Fiber Arts / Studio Owner

A man holding a large decorated sphere made of clay or similar material, standing outdoors with greenery in the background. He is smiling and wearing a white long-sleeved shirt.

Bear uses ceramics and other physical media to create maze-like artwork that’s inspired by, and feeds back into, his passion for nature and play. Prior to pursuing ceramics, he worked as a game developer in Kyoto, Japan, and later co-founded the mobile game company Winning Blimp. In 2020, while isolating and caring for his son struggling with the rare retina disease Coats’ Disease, he began ceramics as a creative and therapeutic outlet.

After graduating with a B.A. in East Asian Languages and Literature at University of Florida, Bear moved to Kyoto, Japan to receive a degree in Digital Art and Animation at Kyoto Computer Institute. He has been studying hand building at Red Ox Clay Studio in Concord, California since 2022.

Kumi Trickey

Japanese Abacus (Soroban) / Social Media Manager / Studio Owner

Close-up of a woman with short black hair and fair skin standing outdoors in front of green foliage.

Bronwyn Trickey Cohen

Financial Accounting / Chicken Mom / Goat Expert

A man with long hair, beard, and yellow cap is eating pizza while a smiling woman with long blonde hair holds a slice. They sit together indoors near a window.

Currently residing in Wyoming, with her husband and Newfoundland. Enjoying the sailing, skiing, hiking and other outdoor activities.

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