Badge of Awesome Communities invites you to share your favourite things to see and do in cool destinations around the world. We caught up with the folks from the English Potter — one of our featured attractions from the Peterborough & the Kawarthas, Ontario area — to learn about what they have to offer.

What makes The English Potter awesome?

The English Potter: Gail West, the English Potter is located in beautiful downtown Lakefield in a historical stone building where she has been running her pottery business for nine years.  One half of this building showcases her work the other half is her workshop and teaching area.  She teaches pottery at all levels from her studio, beginner, intermediate and advanced from October through to May.  She has taught at many local schools and is the recipient of many awards for her work.  Aside from teaching pottery, she also teaches life sculpture from the model. Sometimes, just a hand a foot or the whole body. In 2017 she was commissioned to make dinner plates for one of the top restaurants in Toronto as well as fine dining restaurants in the Kawarthas.

Gail likes to makes pottery that is functional but she also loves to make work that is decorative art. Her style of work is often described as whimsical and organic and some times with a touch  of humour attached.  She loves exploring diversity in colour, texture and form.  For example,  outdoor smoke fired work, raku and more recently, electric fired horse hair vessels. 

Her work is shown at various venues throughout the Kawarthas.

Visit the English Potter website to learn more!