Tina Pourtahmassebi never imagined the makeshift paint set she created out of old medicine bottles in her garage would evolve into a 20-year manufacturing and distributing business. The former preschool teacher and mom of two created the Do-A-Dot Art! line as a way to spark kids’ imaginations and keep them entertained for an hour or two. She trademarked the educational product line in 1990, and it’s the only division of her Westlake Village-based company Triquest Inc., which she co-owns with her husband Rob. Craft sets include bright-colored, sponge-tipped markers that serve as mess-proof paint applicators and themed activity books that help children between the ages of 2 and 8 become an artist in their own right. Do-A-Dot products are sold in about 6,000 retail fronts worldwide, ranging from major stores such as Michael’s and Barnes &Noble to small specialty toy stores. At Pourtahmassebi’s office, Do-a-Dot masterpieces decorate the walls. The simple clown and princess patterns and complex art projects reflect the company’s mission: to give children a positive art experience. “As you get bogged down with the day-to-day business and focusing on product safety testing and negotiating your big accounts, you have to remember that you’re doing this to foster creativity in young children,” Pourtahmassebi said. Much has changed in the toy market since Do-a-Dot got its start. There are more companies competing for a slice of the toy market and product safety standards are tougher, requiring more testing, which can be costly. Do-a-Dot’s time-tested packaging and patterns, however, have remained virtually the same. “We really haven’t wanted to deviate too much,” Pourtahmassebi said. Her reasoning: If the product has remained attractive to moms and kids for 20 years, why change it now? Pourtahmassebi’s daughters, meanwhile, are putting their own fashionable spin on their mom’s success. Tessa Darin and Tiffany Pinegar last year launched Fubulous Wubulous Inc., and a Glam Art line of craft kits, geared toward the tween market. The kits include themed art boards with sequins and multicolored jewels. “What they’ve done for 20 years has been dots,” Darin said. “So now we’re doing glittery dots.”
