About The Artist Outpost

Building a Creative Community in San Diego

From Our Hearts to Your Hands: The Story of Our Founding

At The Artist Outpost, we’re passionate about art and education! Co-Owners Meryl and Eryn opened our doors in 2018 in Ocean Beach, San Diego to offer youth and adults both pottery and art classes that nurture creativity and self expression.

Mission: The Artist Outpost is a community-oriented art studio offering art classes for all ages located in the heart of artistic Ocean Beach, San Diego. Our mission is to inspire our community through collaboration and creation.

Creative

Explore limitless creativity with classes for all skill levels.

Inspiring

Ignite your passion through motivating art experiences.

Community

Connect and create with fellow artists in our local events.

Supportive

Grow with encouragement in our nurturing environment.

Meet the teachers

Meet the Creative Forces Behind Our Classes

This tribe of experienced, fun, and talented teaching artists are excited to help artists of all ages discover the joy of art-making. Art is not just about creating beautiful pieces, but also a powerful tool for living in the moment. Hope to see you in the studio soon!

Click on a teacher to learn more about them!

Meryl Hamilton

Co-Founder | Teacher

Meryl Hamilton

Co-Founder | Teacher

Meryl shares her passion for art with students of all ages, believing that anyone can be an artist. Art can be taught through techniques and only requires an open mind to learn. Bring your creative and intuitive side to her classes.

Originally from the East Coast, Meryl was raised in New Jersey and graduated with an Interior Design degree from Philadelphia University. She left a career in NYC for love and a lifestyle change in San Diego.

Meryl lives with her husband Ryan, kids Cliff and Pearl, and cat Charlie in Lemon Grove. She describes owning and operating the studio with her sister-in-law, Eryn, as "a dream come true." She teaches yoga too!

Email:hello@theartistoutpost.com

Eryn McCarty

Co-Founder | Teacher

Eryn McCarty

Co-Founder | Teacher

Born and raised in Southern California, Eryn has been playing with every type of art she could her hands on since she was a little tyke. In college, Eryn took on classes in sculpture, painting, murals, and beyond. She brings her keen eye for design and composition to all her workshops, whether abstraction, resin pouring, acrylic pour, painting, or a Paint Your Pet workshop.

Email:hello@theartistoutpost.com

Roberta Sutton

Studio Manager | Teacher

Roberta Sutton

Studio Manager | Teacher

Roberta loves sharing the creative process with students of all ages, making a plan, discarding the plan, capitalizing on discoveries. She teaches oil and acrylic painting, candle making, drawing, and encaustic mixed media.

When she's not at the studio or with her family at the beach, she paints commissions of local families and landmarks. Both a San Diego native and a "New Yorker," she is thrilled to call OB her forever home.

She earned art history and studio art BAs from Binghamton University and an MA in Organizational Change Management from The New School.

Email:hello@theartistoutpost.com

Corin Puckett

Pottery Technition and Teacher

Corin pottery teacher at the Artist Outpost in San Diego

Corin Puckett

Pottery Technition and Teacher

Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, Corin. Her grandmother was a high school art teacher, making art a part of her life from an early age. She fell in love with ceramics in 2017, making it the focus of her creative practice, appreciating its consistent inconsistency and "art imitating life." She is pursuing her fine arts degree at City College San Diego.

Valerie Jackson

Art Teacher

Valerie Jackson

Art Teacher

Valerie is a multimedia visual artist based in San Diego. The daughter of a photographer and elementary school art teacher, she developed a passion for drawing at a young age. She earned a B.A. in Fine Art from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and has since pursued a career in arts education while continuing her creative practice. Her illustrated work has been featured in documentaries such as Gratitude Revealed and Wild Hope, and she has won multiple awards for her art direction in film. Valerie is interested in combining mediums to create immersive, experimental experiences!

Ruben Allen

Pottery Teacher

Ruben Allen

Pottery Teacher

Bio coming soon!

Recent art and ceramics grad is a wonderful addition to our team!!! Follow on Instragram @stairwell.ceramics.

Dan Allen

Pottery Teacher

Dan Allen

Pottery Teacher

Our Thursday night series pottery teacher loves sharing his love of the craft and mad skills with his students.

Dave Emery

Pottery Teacher

Dave Emery

Pottery Teacher

Dave started teaching pottery in 2016 and has been a mainstay in the studio ever since! He brings a diverse background to his teaching, having been a whitewater guide in Canada, and worked with at-risk youth in Utah’s high desert. He currently works as a data analyst in telecom.

Dave approaches pottery not as an “artist” by education but as a life-long practice of learning. He uses a developmental mindset in his classes, reaching students at their levels and breaking down complex tasks into small, achievable steps. In his pottery classes, students may learn to make a variety of pieces including cups, bowls, vases, pitchers, bottles, tea pots, jars, toroids, double-walled pieces, and hand-built shapes—though not likely all in one series!

Outside the studio, Dave enjoys the outdoors with his wife Tessa, son River, and dog Juniper. He eagerly anticipates teaching River to climb, paddle, and ski, but for now, enjoys exploring the intricacies of the front lawn and the beach on hands and knees with his baby.

Jules Alksne

Art Teacher

Jules Alksne

Art Teacher

Jules is from Santa Cruz, California. She had a rather unconventional childhood, where she grew up drawing and painting instead of ever having access to a TV. She knew she wanted to pursue art in college, and attended UC San Diego where she received a visual arts minor. She studied art in Paris, particularly plein air painting as well as sketching in pastel. Jules has loved teaching people since she was young. She's been a surf instructor and has been teaching at The Artist Outpost since its inception on Sunset Cliffs Blvd! She loves the creative process and explaining every detail of drawing, pastel and painting. She also has a lovely dog who likes to attend classes and meet her students. We are so proud of her -- she's also now an attorney at the Department of Child Support Services where she continues her passion of teaching and helps others understand the law.

Tariq Johnson

Pottery Teacher

Tariq Johnson

Pottery Teacher

Tariq earned a BA in Ceramics from San Diego State University and has been teaching for 4 years. His teaching is driven by a genuine passion for the craft, which he is committed to sharing with students. Through his work in ceramics, Tariq aims to make a meaningful impact and contribute positively to the art community.

Jonah Paraiso

Art Teacher

Jonah Paraiso

Art Teacher

A self proclaimed "nerdy artist," Jonah and students quickly bond over drawing beloved characters like Pokemon, SpongeBob, anime, video game characters, and other pop culture themes with his students. He earned degrees in Computer Science and Music from UCSD. He has lots of experience with children by growing up as the default babysitter to over 30 first cousins in his large Filipino/Japanese family rooted in San Diego. Jonah has also brought joy to children as a party performer (as Spiderman, Darth Vader, etc.).

Dain Middleton

Preschool Teacher

Dain Middleton

Preschool Teacher

A born creator, Dain has been making art with kids since she was 11 and running summer camps for her sister and friends. She earned her Degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Lesley College in Boston.

Dain returned to her hometown of San Diego where she taught pre-school and elementary school, ran creative businesses, and volunteered with arts organizations. Her current artistic passions include pottery and cyanotypes, where she draws inspiration and materials from nature, especially beautiful San Diego beaches.

Dain's favorite people to make art with are her two sons and the kids in her classes at the Artist Outpost!

Khoury Hickman

LEGO Teacher

Khoury Hickman

LEGO Teacher

A biologist by trade, Khoury has spent a decade researching fisheries to improve salmon passage through river systems. His problem-solving and engineering skills have been rechanneled into a favorite childhood pastime: LEGO. He discovered that he could create things he never imagined possible as a child.

Khoury and his family moved to OB in 2022 and have found their perfect community. He collaborates with local businesses and families, creating unique works of art and custom mini-figures. He hosts “build your own race car” events, which feature a double race track and timer, and birthday parties with custom builds.

Consider this activity as a thrilling party "add on"!

Sanise Bridges

Resin Teacher

Sanise Bridges

Resin Teacher

Sanise has been an artist for several years and enjoys bringing her pieces to various craft events in Southern California. Resin is her favorite medium to work with in addition to acrylic paint. She creates new resin pieces every week and loves what she does.

Emily Aust

Hand Building Pottery Teacher

Emily Aust

Hand Building Pottery Teacher

Bio Coming Soon

Georgie Jepson

Teacher

Georgie Jepson

Teacher

Georgie is from Bristol, England. After studying art, she became a graphic designer in advertising for 18 years. As a resident of Ocean Beach since 2011, she has primarily focused on portrait art but loves to draw everything under the sun. With a passion for travel to seek creative inspiration, photography has also become a beloved pursuit.

Whether painting, drawing, or sculpting, Georgie enjoys working with many mediums. As a teacher, she guides people to trust their instincts and experiment. She encourages them to let go of perfection and enjoy the creative process of making mistakes, which often contribute to their best work.

When not in the studio, you can find Georgie riding her rusty bike around OB or pottering at home with her two children and their dog. Often, she is covered in clay, experimenting in the world of ceramics.

Meet The Co-Founders

Meryl and Eryn

Meryl, an East Coast native with a background in interior design, and Eryn, a lifelong Southern California artist, share a mission to make art accessible and enjoyable for all.

Their workshops, from pottery to painting, are designed to inspire creativity in every participant, fostering a supportive environment where art thrives.

Owning and operating the studio with my sister-in-law, Eryn, is a dream come true.

Meryl Hamilton

About The Artist Outpost

Building a Creative Community in San Diego

From Our Hearts to Your Hands: The Story of Our Founding

Creative

Inspiring

Community

Supportive

Meet the Creative Forces Behind Our Classes

Meryl Hamilton

Eryn McCarty

Roberta Sutton

Corin Puckett

Valerie Jackson

Ruben Allen

Dan Allen

Dave Emery

Jules Alksne

Tariq Johnson

Jonah Paraiso

Dain Middleton

Khoury Hickman

Sanise Bridges

Emily Aust

Georgie Jepson

Meryl and Eryn

Owning and operating the studio with my sister-in-law, Eryn, is a dream come true.

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