Yesterday, I treated myself to an artist date at the Guelph Potters Market. First established by Jessica Steinhäuser in 2005, the market has been held in the springtime at different parks in the city. This year, it was held indoors at the Delta Hotel in south Guelph.

Once inside the large meeting room, I was impressed by the quality and diversity of the products featured by over forty potters. In addition to the traditional pieces—mugs, bowls, dishware, and sculptures —several unique items caught my attention. I was intrigued by the penguins, mermaid jewelry, “scary” pieces, and wine cups with side indents to allow for secure holding.

One potter enthusiastically described smoke firing, the process she uses to create unusual yet striking pots in garbage cans or pits. She combines materials such as sawdust, wood, salt, hair, oxides, plants, flowers, and even manure. The pots are burnished at various stages to achieve a soft surface, and then they are fired for 10 to 12 hours. Once cooled, the vessels are polished with paste wax. No glaze is applied; their distinctive colors emerge from the fire and natural additives. Find out more at The Barefoot Potter.