Board & Brush To Open In Forest Hill

FOREST HILL, MD — A new do-it-yourself art studio is opening in Forest Hill this week. Inside will be power tools as well as art supplies. Attendees will learn how to make wooden signs during guided workshops.

"We lead you through the entire process from bare wood to distressing, sanding, staining, building and painting your project," owner Allison Bell of Forest Hill said.

Workshops run two to two-and-a-half hours, according to Bell. She said participants will "leave feeling empowered, confident and excited to share their experience and project with others."

Her first exposure to Board & Brush — a franchise that has more than 250 locations in 41 states — was in Newark, Delaware. She and her two sisters had gone with their mother for a birthday party.

"The moment I walked in, I realized this was perfect for me — it was so much like the projects my husband and I enjoyed doing at home," Allison Bell said in a statement. "I emailed the company when I got home that evening, and they replied right away."

See examples of the wooden sign projects that are offered at Board & Brush. Most have a vintage farmhouse-style feel.

Other Board & Brush studios in Maryland are in Columbia, Easton, Hagerstown and Leonardtown.

The Forest Hill Board & Brush will open Sunday, March 1.

Allison and Luther Bell picked the location on Newport Drive because it is close to their home in Forest Hill.

"I have grown up in Harford County going to [C. Milton Wright High School], so we have a big network of friends and family here," Allison Bell said in an email.

The Bells work for Maryland Biochemical Company, which sells bacteria to wastewater treatment plants. Her father, Dick Marcheski, founded the business 40 years ago, and it is based out of her parents' home in Bel Air.

As a hobby for the past decade, Luther Bell has been making furniture, signs and boxes. Allison Bell — who majored in fashion design in college — paints and designs them.

"We’re a hands-on family," Allison Bell said. "This is something we can all participate in, with our three children even pitching in to get the studio ready for opening."

The grand opening will be from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 1, at Board & Brush, 1 Newport Drive, Suite B, Forest Hill. The first 30 people will receive gift bags and the chance to win a sign-making party for six valued at more than $400. Black Eyed Suzie's will provide food at the event.

Workshops will start Wednesday, March 4. People can register online. Workshops cost $68.