Functional Art

I still have my very first pottery purchase: a lovely teapot and four mugs with the prettiest hand-painted sweet peas adorning each piece. I totally splurged on this set to adorn our first kitchen renovation over 35 years ago, when we were newlyweds on a tight budget. I have added immensely to my collection since then (I have a serious bowl addiction!), promising myself that one day I would create my own pieces of pottery. It only took 30 years but finally, I can call myself a potter with a mere three years of experience on a potting wheel.

The most exciting thing about collecting (and now creating some of my own) kitchen pottery pieces is that they are incredibly practical and functional pieces of art in my home. Incorporating pottery in the kitchen adds a rich beauty and artistic stamp to your home. There is nothing more rewarding than messing around with clay and ending up with a useful dish in which to bake or serve a meal. A purchase from a big box store is just not as personal as finding a one-of-a-kind piece of useable art, which is why I love pottery.

From platters to bowls, ramekins and mugs, the pieces one can make or purchase for kitchen prep, baking and serving are endless. Baking in clay definitely has its merits for deeper flavours and textures, and clay pieces are incredibly durable and keep food extremely warm or cold for long periods of time. 

Many recipes are created or cooked with specific clay pieces in mind, ranging from paté to tagine and pizza, due to the unique way that clay enhances the cooking process or the presentation. I love the roasted garlic baker that roasts full bulbs to perfection, and bread baking bowls that create the best crust ever. And then there’s the cookie jar for storage, which allows just the right amount of air in to keep cookies perfectly fresh. Currently the trend for crudités and charcuterie displayed on beautiful smooth glazed clay slabs are rivaling live edge cutting boards.  I also adore a clay colander for rinsing berries, because it makes them look so beautiful on a summer's day!

As a food stylist, I cannot resist how beautiful food looks when it is presented in clay vessels, but my favourite has to be a bowl full of colourful market veggies or salad. I feel everyone should serve their salad in a beautiful pottery bowl, because it keeps it nice and cold and the beauty of it all makes you want to dig right in. I serve lots of salad, and that’s how I justify absolutely needing a collection of at least 150 bowls—good thing I now know how to make my own!

Creative makers markets (like the annual Denman Island Pottery Studio Tour on the Victoria Day long weekend) are bursting with incredible pottery artist displays where you can purchase your pieces directly and receive proper care and use instructions, but here are a few helpful tips.  

1. Pottery is sensitive to sudden temperature changes, so any piece you cook with should be at room temperature when you place it in the oven—do not pre-heat the oven. Instead, allow the pottery to slowly heat up with the oven temperature. 

2. Always rest a hot dish on a trivet vs a cold granite counter top for good measure. 

3. Never submerge a hot pottery dish in cold water after coming from a hot oven, nor place a pottery dish over a direct flame or directly on your cooktop, as such extreme temperature changes are likely to crack your piece.  

4. Hand washing your pieces is most ideal with soapy water—and a little baking soda goes a long way if you have a sticky mess to scrub clean. 

5. Sturdy pieces are usually fine in the dishwasher, but definitely not thinner porcelain ones (I found out the hard way and ended up with a cracked bowl!). By following a few simple guidelines, your pottery pieces can last decades.