Friday Friends - Local Artists - Wonky Pot Pottery

Welcome to Friday lovely Maddabling blog readers. I hope you have had a wonderful week

and of course, in the Southern Hemisphere, today brings the first "official" day of Winter ! 

I have been enjoying a lemongrass and ginger tea which is helping to keep the cold weather

chills at bay. This week it is my great pleasure to introduce to you a local artist that I met at 

the Denmark Markets a little while ago now - meet Vicki from Wonky Pot Pottery!

Vicki makes fabulous things out of clay. I was never very good at pottery at school so I truly admire 

those who have the patience and skill to create with clay ! I have been having a good nose around the

photos on Vicki's facebook page and want to share some of my finds with you now. I must admit

I did buy one of Vicki's sweet pendants from market and it is a firm favourite in my jewellery 

collection! Here is a selection of finds for you to browse :) 

I hope dear readers that this gives you a taste of the the pieces Vicki creates and that you enjoy 

the Wonderous Tale of Wonky Pot Pottery. For those in Western Australia, have a wonderful long 

weekend and stay warm and dry ! 

The Wonderous Tale of Wonky Pot Pottery

Hi everyone - I'm Vicki, the face behind Wonky Pot Pottery. 

Wonky Pot Pottery was given its name when our son was looking for a bowl during 

a family get together and asked if he could use the wonky pot on the bench. This was 

a wheel thrown then altered large open bowl that was waiting to go out to the 

Oranje Tractor Winery for display. After much laughter the name stuck and every time 

someone remarks on the name I am reminded of my wonderful family and the joy they 

bring David and I!

Pottery was something I had always dreamed of doing, but as so many other Mums (and Dads) 

often do, concentrated on family first. A series of cancer hiccups over many years meant that 

an early retirement 4 or so years ago was a change in direction with my life. David and I went off 

to night classes in pottery for a ‘date night’. I found a peace and sense of achievement when

working with clay. To accomplish the simplest of tasks with clay such as centring on the wheel, 

you have to be completely in the moment. There can be nothing else in that moment. 

David was soon caught in the spell of working with clay too, to take wet earth and create an 

object of simple elegant form that is functional but beautiful too.

You may take your lump of clay with a goal or result in mind, you can ‘make’ it become 

a bowl or vase or jug or anything that you want, but it is also being ‘open’ to possibilities 

that can be revealed as you begin to open out the vessel. Finding strength and beauty 

from a new direction from a ‘mistake’ or a ‘weakness’.

My work is primarily created using mid-fired earthenware clay that I can fire in my own kiln.  

This clay was a challenge after using stoneware clay for a few years, as it is quite ‘soft’ so 

needs to be approached with sensitivity and consideration to its limitations. It can’t and 

won’t be rushed.  Bit like me I suppose!

For now our passion is for wheel thrown pieces of a style that could be described as 

functional ware.  Our pieces are to be used and enjoyed. We strive for that new technique 

that will open possibilities. I am always looking to create the ‘perfect’ bowl. To find new ways

to take the basic form and then alter or decorate or use a luscious glaze to enhance but not

remove its ‘function’ and elegance.

David is currently building a raku kiln that will take our work down another creative path. 

He also has a full time ‘day’ job that limits his time in the studio at the moment but it is 

thanks to him that our wheels and kilns work as well as they do. I am currently working on 

a range of teapots that will be seen first at the Denmark Arts Markets later this year. 

Teabags should have removed the need for such items, but I must have one of my own!  

A classic example of a traditional piece of functional ware, that is composed of several parts

that are put together in such a way that they are beautiful and/or interesting, but still 

pours a cup of tea well!

We look forward to meeting old friends and new when we get back into the 

2012/13 Market Season. Keep an eye on the facebook page for when and where! 

It is very satisfying to find new homes for our pottery, good thing too as we may be 

buried under all those pots that have simply had to be made!

Dear readers - would you like to see more ? You can connect with Wonky Pot Pottery by  

becoming a facebook follower here to keep up with all the latest Wonky Pot Pottery News : 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wonky-Pot-Pottery/188996241129347