Pottery can be relaxing and rejuvenating
Cathy Allen was a founding member of the Kawartha Potters Guild
This year, the Kawartha Potters Guild is celebrating its 25th anniversary. In the mid-1990s, a small group of potters met once a month at one of their homes to connect with fellow artists and share ideas. Since then, the guild has grown and has moved meeting locations numerous times.
In 2012, an opportunity arose for them to set up a permanent facility where they could teach, work and sell their pottery at 993 Talwood Dr., in a former City of Peterborough recreation centre, and the guild had finally found its home.
Cathy Allen was one of the founding members. She started working in clay in 1991 when she attended a part-time evening pottery class at Fleming College. Soon she had purchased her own second-hand wheel and set up her own studio in her basement. Then she looked around for like-minded potters.
“We were a small group of people who were keen to share pottery techniques and ideas,”
Allen says. “We saw the need in the community and we met in living rooms for the first year. We went on road trips to other pottery guilds, and did fun little workshops of our own.”
Once they started to recruit members, the group felt it needed a more formal organization, with a chairperson, treasurer and secretary. Allen was the secretary and helped to produce the first newsletters.
“I love to ‘throw,’ and my main focus is to make functional pieces that can be used in your kitchen and as tableware,” she says. “I especially enjoy making mugs and bowls, but lately I really like making one-of-a-kind plates with intricately carved details and bright colours.”
For the past six years, and before the pandemic, Allen was the host of Saturday Clay Club, where members and students practised in a fun environment and she also taught the Thursday evening classes.
When asked why she likes to create pottery, Allen says, “Making pottery on the wheel has a very relaxing, Zen-like and meditative aspect to it. ‘Centring’ the clay on the wheel is like centring the soul, and you come away relaxed and rejuvenated at the self-achievement. It is extremely rewarding to form, decorate and complete pieces than can be enjoyed, used and cherished in our everyday lives. A pretty flower mug, a carved salad bowl — these things enhance our lives in a simple way.”
Her advice for budding potters is to “keep practicing, keep inspirations close by, and you will come to find the techniques that best work for you. Don’t give up, and stay patient … it will undoubtedly take some time to get good at it.”
The Kawartha Potters Guild is a community of about 110 talented and enthusiastic potters from Peterborough, Durham Region, Northumberland and further afield. During regular times, they host pottery sales twice a year, hold classes for adults and children, operate a retail store and more. Until activities resume, gift certificates are available by contacting Administrator@Kawarthapottersguild.com.
Canadian Canoe Museum
The Canadian Canoe Museum is continuing to inspire connection and curiosity from home. While their doors may not be open, they are working to bring the museum virtually to adventurers of all ages.
They have just launched a “CCM From Home” page at canoemuseum.ca/ccm-fromhome, to make it easy to explore and find activities and content to engage you, or your children, in learning and play. You’ll find educational activities, documentaries, lectures and more. Their printable canoe and kayak cut-outs based on boats in their collection allow you to colour and craft miniatures. Their canoe-themed postcard colouring sheets are derived from their exhibit, “More than Just Canoes.”
The museum is inviting everyone to stay connected with them on social media. Use the hashtag #CCMfromhome to share your creations with them.